Go The Distance
by Samcro1024
Summary: This is the story of Charlotte Teller, Jax's twin sister. She runs away from Charming on her wedding day to Seattle, WA for med school. She wanted to be as far away from the club life as possible. Too bad for her when the Tacoma charter is sent to keep an eye on her.
1. That Girl is a Problem

July 27th 1998

Charlotte Teller ran down main street, heels in her left hand, the train of her long, white wedding dress in her right.

She realized at the worst time that she didn't really want to get married. She started down the aisle, but didn't make two steps before she ran.

She hated when her mother was right…

She sprinted past all the people walking down the street, gaping wide mouthed at the sight of her. When she got to her destination, she ran into the house and up the stairs. She had never been so thankful that all of her things were already packed in suitcases.

"I at least did something right," she muttered to herself as she grabbed the backpack first and put it on. She grabbed the other two bags and hurried down the stairs. She had to get out before he got there.

She walked through the kitchen, grabbing her keys. She froze in place as she heard the side door open.

"David, I- "

Her twin brother, Jax, walked in the room, his hands held up in front of him. "It's just me. The coast is clear."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "I hope you're not here to gloat or say I told you so."

He shook his head, his face somber. "Nah, I figured I'd leave that up to ma."

She dropped the two suitcases and walked over to him, hugging him. "I love you, little brother. I'll call you when I get settled in Seattle."

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Think they saved your spot?"

She shrugged. "I have until next week to accept still. I never turned them down."

Jax smiled at his sister. "You better get out of here before the wrath of Gemma Teller comes strolling through the door."

She scoffed. "Don't tell her where I am. Promise me!"

"I promise," he replied before kissing her cheek. He opened the door again. "You'd better get on the road."

She smiled, grabbing her bags. "Thank you, Jacky," she winked and was out the door.

November 25th 1998

Charlotte walked in the front door of her apartment, her phone ringing. She didn't get to it in time, not that she planned on answering. She knew who was calling.

"Charlotte Harley Teller if you don't call your mother back I swear I will drive up to Seattle myself and drag your ass back down to Charming tonight!"

She rolled her eyes. She was looking forward to a holiday without her mother and a room full of testosterone.

She placed her backpack down and went to the sink, filling herself a glass of water. She had started her first semester of medical school at the University of Washington. So far, it had been the best 4 months she had had in a long time.

She looked down at her left hand, specifically her 4th finger. She had finally taken off the ring 3 weeks ago. She had thought about mailing it back to him, but didn't think that would go over so well.

Her head shot up when there was a knock at her door. She furled her brow, but stood up to see who was at her door. When she saw the two men standing in leather through the peep hole she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going back to Charming, especially for the holiday, so you can just turn around now," she exclaimed.

The pounding on the door continued. "Come on, Char, we don't wanna break in."

She unlocked the door and stared at the two men. Both tall and muscular, one bald and the other with beautiful blond locks. "I don't care what you two say, I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me."

The blond smirked and stepped into the small apartment. "When the pres of the founding club tells you to check on his step daughter, you go," he simply stated, having a seat on her couch.

The bald one with all the tattoos stared at her a little while longer, silently, before he stepped inside. He remained standing, his eyes following Charlotte as she closed the door and moved into the living room.

"Great, well as you can see I'm fine, so you can be on your way now," She said, looking at the blond expectantly, trying to ignoring the hair standing up on the back of her neck from the stare of the bald man.

The blond man propped his feet up on her coffee table. "No can do, toots."

She scoffed. "Well, do the two of you morons have names at least?"

He put his feet down and shot up from his seat. "I'm sorry, princess," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. "I'm Kozik, and that ray of sunshine is Happy."

She pulled back her hand and looked to the bald man and smirked. "He looks like a happy," she said sarcastically. She crossed her arms over her chest. "How long can I expect you to stay?"

Kozik took his place back on the couch and shrugged. "You could just go to Charming and see your mother," he replied.

She walked away from the two men her stepfather sent and over to her phone. She dialed the familiar number and was not surprised when it was picked up after half a ring.

"Charlotte? Is that you?"

"Yes, _mother_ , it is. Would you like to tell me why Clay is sending men from the Tacoma charter into my home?" she muttered through her teeth.

"Why aren't you coming home for Thanksgiving? We haven't seen you since you- "

"I told you I couldn't make it home for the holiday. I've got school and clinials and I can't make it. I'll try to make it for Christmas, but I make no promises. Now, tell Clay to call of his dogs."

"They're just checking up on you, since you have a problem with not answering your phone! This is the first time you've been this far away from home. I worry, you know."

Charlotte fought the urge to roll her eyes and calmly stated, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry, but you do need to tell Clay to get his men out of my house. I don't need them here. I've been just fine on my own the last 4 months. Happy Thanksgiving, mom. Goodbye." She hung up the phone, took a deep breath and then turned around to look at the two men. "You can pack up and leave now, you don't have to stay."

Neither men moved. She crossed her arms and began tapping her foot, waiting for either of them to budge. No such luck. 10 minutes passed before the pagers of both the men went off. They stood and headed for the door, Charlotte followed.

Happy walked out the door without so much as a goodbye. Kozik turned and smiled at Charlotte. "We'll see ya tomorrow, doll," he said with a wink and walked out the door.

She closed and locked the door with a huff. Looks like she'd be having a protection detail, whether she liked it or not.


	2. Gives You Hell

_Thanks for all who are reading/reviewing! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but here is the next chapter! Enjoy :)_

 **Chapter Two**

Charlotte slept in that next morning, something she rarely allowed herself to do. Most days she was up by 5:30 and out the door for a run by 6. It was her time to clear her mind of everything; all the drama she had caused back home, the stress from school and her part time job at the hospital. It was time just for her. But today was a holiday, and she was a firm believer on relaxation on holidays, especially Thanksgiving. That was always her favorite.

At 11 she finally rolled out of bed. She walked into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She turned on the shower and striped down before stepping in. Everything would be closed today. Today would be a nice, quiet, lazy day. A holiday all by herself, for once.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She walked back into her bedroom and looked in her closet. Since she wouldn't be entertaining, she opted for a pair of shorts and a tank top. She threw her hair up in a bun on top of her head and walked out towards the kitchen.

She filled the coffee pot with water and turned the maker on while humming to herself. She walked over to the fridge and got out some items for breakfast.

"It's about time you woke up! I was getting a little worried, doll."

Charlotte screamed, turning towards the voice, the eggs flying out of her hands. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she exclaimed, her hands on her chest. "How did you get in here?"

Kozik grinned from his place by the couch. "We have our ways," he replied, motioning to his partner in crime, Happy.

Charlotte glared at the man. "Why are you here? Didn't you hear me yesterday? I'm not going to Charming for Thanksgiving."

He walked towards her, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, we heard you. You're not going to Charming for Thanksgiving, we know."

Charlotte gave him a snarky smile. "Okay, then get the fuck out!"

"No can do, princess," Kozik replied. "Your ma doesn't want you to spend the holiday alone! You're coming to dinner at the clubhouse."

She scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not going to the clubhouse. I'll be fine right here, on my own! I've got studying to do," she said and started picking up the fallen eggs.

"It ain't a request," Happy grunted. "Lee's old lady expects you to be there by 2."

Charlotte turned back around and looked at the man. He stood in front of her couch, arms crossed. His eyes pitch black, no emotion on his face.

She glared at him, crossing her arms. "What are you gonna do, drag me there?"

"If I have to," Happy replied.

"I'd be happy to carry you over my shoulder," Kozik interjected. "Hell, maybe even bridal style. You didn't get a chance to do that at- "

"No one is carrying me anywhere," she interrupted him before he could finish. She walked over to the phone, dialing the ever familiar number. "Mother, please tell me why you're trying to force me to Thanksgiving dinner with the Tacoma charter."

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Charlotte! I just wanted you to be with family on Thanksgiving! Liz is expecting you to be there, and it would be rude now to not go!"

"You can't make me go," she said through gritted teeth. "Make Clay's goons leave my apartment."

"Charlotte, my darling daughter, get your ass over there right now before I tell them to bring your ass down to Charming!" her mother screamed before hanging up.

Charlotte slammed the phone a few times before finally putting it back on the receiver. She placed her hands on the counter top and took in a few deep breaths. She turned to face the men behind her. "I will meet you over there in a few hours," she said. "You can go now."

Neither man budged. "We can wait for you to get ready," Kozik replied. "We'd _hate_ for you to get lost on the way."

Charlotte closed her eyes and took in another deep breath. She opened them back up and looked at the two. "Fine, then. Don't touch anything," she said and walked back into her room. She wanted to scream. So much for the peace and quiet she had hoped for when she moved out here. Guess there would only be those first few months of bliss. Did she really expect any less? Her mother was one of a kind…

She spent over an hour blow drying and curling her long blonde hair. She put on subtle make up, nothing that would mistake her for a croweater. She picked out a floral sundress and a pair of wedges.

By 1:15 she was ready to go. She walked out into her living room to see Happy sitting at the table, reading one of her surgical books and Kozik passed out on her couch.

She stomped over to Kozik and pushed his legs down, causing him to sit straight up. "Don't put your dirty, nasty boots on my couch ever again!"

He held up his hands. "I'm sorry, princess, you were taking forever- damn! Don't you look like a fox. You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb there, though."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Precisely the point," she muttered and turned back to look at Happy, who was no longer looking at her book. It felt like he was staring into her soul, the look on his face… She couldn't quite read. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Happy shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. He stood up and walked towards the door. "We should go," he said and walked outside without another glance towards the other two in the room.

Kozik jumped up, offering his hand to Charlotte. "Shall we, miss priss?" he asked.

Charlotte flipped him off before grabbing her keys and purse, heading out after Happy.


	3. Come on Love, Come on In

_Thank you to my readers! Wish there were some more reviewers... but here's another chapter for you, my lovelies!_

 **Chapter Three**

Happy Lowman didn't scare easily. He did everything meticulously, no detail ever surprising him. He was always in control, no matter what the circumstance.

The feeling he had gotten back at Charlotte Teller's apartment, a warm ache all throughout his body, a tingling down his spine- it had been a long time since he had felt like that. He wondered if he had ever really felt that way, truly. He was not supposed to be having those thoughts, especially about _her_. Samcro's princess.

He watched her interact with Lee's old lady, Liz, the few other old ladies, and crow eaters while he nursed his fourth beer. She was being polite to all of them, helping them bring out all the food to the large table for all the club, but he knew it was an act. She really didn't want to be there. He didn't think she wanted anything to do with the club. She obviously left Charming for a reason, but why?

"You gonna take your turn, shit head, or should we wait for you to go fuck her first?"

Happy whipped his head around to glare at Kozik who had spoken. Tig Trager stood neck to him, laughing at the comment. Happy stood and walked over to the pool table. He didn't say a word; he wasn't really much of a talker anyways. He set his beer down and took his shot.

"She is a good looking broad, Killa, but I think samcro might have something to say about that shit going down," Tig stated, taking a swig of his beer.

"Ain't _nobody_ thinking about doing _nothing_ ," Happy stated simply. "Just making sure the _priss_ don't run out."

Kozik grinned and hit Tig on the chest. "Yeah, Tig, he's just protection detail. He ain't thinking about how tight that pussy is or what it might feel like to have those plump lips wrapped around his dick!"

Happy was starting to see red. He wasn't used to this shit. Teasing. He wasn't used to getting caught staring either. He was normally much more careful and deliberate with his work, his prey. But did he think of her as his prey?

Happy shook his head and turned to look at Kozik. "Why don't you go score some more crank? You're starting to look a little pale, brother," he said so only he could hear him. He pushed the cue into Kozik's chest and walked over to the couch, waving a croweater over to give him another beer.

Charlotte talked with the old ladies and answered their questions about her schooling and her life. She was polite and sweet to them all, putting on a front. It's not that she wasn't actually a sweet person, but she was forced into this situation and frankly she wasn't really in the mood for all of it.

She walked back into the kitchen, catching a moment alone. She placed her hands on the counter, leaning on it. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out.

"You haven't been here at all since you moved to Seattle."

Startled by the sudden noise she jumped and turned toward the voice. "Liz, you scared me!" she grabbed at her chest. "I'm sorry, I guess I haven't. Didn't really know that I should, I guess."

Liz smiled at her. "Bullshit, you didn't want to. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't lie to me, honey. I don't appreciate that."

"I just wanted to escape the club drama for a while," Charlotte replied, being honest. "I stirred up a lot of shit in Charming before I left. It's been kind of nice being in my own bubble."

"I can understand that, sugar. I heard some things about what happened."

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah? Well, I really don't want to talk about it. I'd appreciate it if you left it alone, thanks."

Liz held up her hands. "That's your business, I get it. But ignoring that shit don't make it go away. You gotta go back there sometime and face it. Your mama included."

"I'm not ready yet," Charlotte said, her voice sounding small. "I fucked up someone else's life. I know he's not ready to see me yet, either."

"How could you possibly know that? I'm sure you haven't spoken to him since it happened."

"No, I haven't. But I wouldn't want to talk to the person that left me at the altar," Charlotte rationalized. She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this. I just want to finish this dinner and go back home."

Liz scoffed. "You don't have to stay and eat with us, Charlotte. I'm sorry you feel obligated."

Charlotte looked at Liz in the eye. "I don't feel obligated, I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about that shit. I'm having a nice time today. It is nice to be around a clubhouse again. It's been a while."

Liz nodded and handed Charlotte a basket filled with rolls. "Bring this out to the table. I'll call the guys to dinner."

Charlotte walked back out into the main room, basket in hand. She set it on the table and watched as all the men came rushing to the table. Everyone took their seats, she was sitting at one end with Tig to her left, Kozik across from her and Happy directly on the end next to her.

She kept her head down as she ate or she looked at Tig, who she knew the best out of the Tacoma crew. He visited Charming often when she was growing up. He was practically family.

"You grew up good, Char," Tig said. "Can't believe you're gonna be a doctor!"

She smiled at him. "I know, it's weird to think about," she replied.

"A doctor, eh? What kinda doctor?" Kozik asked.

"An orthopedic surgeon," she replied. Both men stared at her. "Uh, I want to fix broken bones."

"Ohh," they both said, nodding.

"Yeah, it's predominately men in the field, but I like a good challenge and I think it's the most interesting work. There's so many different ways to fix bones, but the other specialties are so cut and dry. I like getting my hands dirty."

Kozik laughed and patted Happy on the back. "Maybe you could get some tips from this one, eh Hap?"

Happy looked up from his meal, first at Kozik, then to Charlotte, then looked back down. "Don't need no tips. Been doin' just fine on my own."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Kozik's statement. She had a pretty good idea what Happy did for the club, but she couldn't sure until she was told, but she couldn't help herself from her next statement. "I want to fix bones, not break them."

Tig and Kozik looked at her and laughed. Happy stopped eating for a second, but said nothing. Tig changed the topic of conversation, happily chatting with Kozik. Charlotte and Happy were content to quietly eat.

"Char, you have to see my baby, Missy, before you leave! You'll love her!" Tig exclaimed, dropping his utensils on his plate.

"Baby? You have a baby? Here, in the clubhouse?" she gaped at him.

"Not a real baby, my dog! Missy!" he explained. "She's in my room, but I'll bring her out before you go!"

Charlotte let out the air she didn't realize she was holding in. "Oh! Well, yeah sure, I love dogs." She smiled at the man. She set down her napkin. Most everyone was done eating. Some of the old ladies were cleaning up after all the men, so Charlotte stood up and took the guys plates and her own and took them back into the kitchen.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I see you survived the meal," Liz joked.

Charlotte smiled at her. "Yeah, it was very good. You're a great cook, Liz," she replied and then hugged the woman. "Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier."

Liz shook her head. "It's okay, I understand honey. You forget how well I know your mother. She is the biggest bitch on the West coast."

Charlotte laughed at that. "That ain't no lie," she replied. "But I'm stuck with her."

"You should think about going home to visit soon. I know you left a shit storm there, but they're still your family. They still love you."

Charlotte nodded to the older woman. "I will, thanks Liz," she said.

"Go on, now. These girls can deal with the dishes, I know you're itching to get home. Make sure you don't leave without some leftovers!"

"I won't leave without them," she replied with a smile and walked back out of the kitchen, heading towards Tig. "Alright, now where's that baby of yours?"


	4. Dark Days

Sorry for the delay! I've had some issues getting this chapter posted! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Please review!

December 4th 1998

It was a Friday afternoon and Charlotte had just finished classes for the day. She was making the short walk back to her apartment when she heard a motorcycle approaching behind her. She turned to see Tig riding up next to her.

She smiled and waved at him. "Hey stranger, what brings you around here?" she asked.

He returned the smile and nodded at her. "Got your schedule from Hap. Thought I'd take you to dinner tonight! Heading down to Charming tomorrow. I'm sure they'd love to know how you're doing."

Charlotte laughed. "Okay, I guess I could suffer through dinner with you," she teased.

"Only dinner though! I gotta get back to the clubhouse. I left Koz in charge of Missy and he's kinda flaky," he replied.

She nodded and walked over to his bike, getting on behind him. He handed her his helmet and waited for her to put it on before driving off.

He drove for about 15 minutes before he pulled into a diner. They walked inside and sat in a corner booth.

"Everything good with your girls?" Charlotte asked when the waitress left the table with their orders.

Tig shrugged. "Their bitch of a mother don't tell me much. Only get to see them like once a month, fucking cunt."

"I'm so sorry, Tig. I'm sure Dawn and Fawn hate not getting to see you so often," she said, frowning.

"Ain't like I can go to court to fight it. She'd make it so I'd never get to see them at all."

Feeling bad about bringing it up, Charlotte decided to change the subject. "So, what are you going to Charming for?"

"Club business," he replied, not revealing anything. "Want me to pass along any messages? Hey, maybe you should ride down with me. I'm sure your ma and brother would love to see you!"

Charlotte shook her head at that. "Not only is it very last minute, Tig, but I'm not ready to go back yet, as much as I'd love to see Jax."

"Yeah, kid misses you. Don't stay away for too long, Char. They might not recognize you when you do go back."

She smiled at him. "I'll go back home when I'm ready, don't worry. For now, though you can tell my mother I'm fine. Tell her I'm at school and work a lot. Don't really have time for much else."

"You think she's gonna buy that? She'll see right through me."

"It's not a lie! I am busy. Medical school isn't a breeze, it's hard. It deserves my full attention," she replied as their food was delivered. "She's just not used to people telling her no, although she's been hearing it from me for years."

"You two used to be so close, Char," Tig said softly.

"Yeah, then I turned 13 and realized there were more people in the world than just my mommy," she snapped back. "Look, shit with Gemma and I is very complicated. She never wanted to have a daughter, so I ruined things for her. I don't expect you to understand our relationship."

Tig held up his hands. "Retract your claws, I wasn't trying to piss you off. If I was I'd call you Gemma Jr," he said, earning a glare from the blonde. "Just want you to remember she's the only ma you got. Don't freeze her out forever."

"Thanks for the advice," she said shortly and returned to her food.

It remained silent until they were finishing up their dinner. Tig's pager went off and he stood up, walking over to the payphone. Charlotte pushed her plate forward and took another sip of her water. The waitress came over with the check at the same time Tig came rushing back to the table.

"I gotta go. I'll drop you off at your apartment on my way back," he said quickly, dropping some cash on the table.

She stood up and followed him out of the restaurant. "Everything okay?" she asked.

Tig shook his head. "That fucker Kozik. I swear to god, can't trust him to do shit."

She placed the helmet back on her head and got on the bike behind him. He flew down the streets, the ride to her apartment only taking 10 minutes. She got off and handed him his helmet back. "Thanks for dinner, Tig. Say hello to everyone back home for me."

He nodded. "Will do, doll. You take care. I'll come see ya when I get back sometime." He zoomed off down the street. She watched until he disappeared before heading inside her place.

December 6th 1998

Surprisingly she hadn't had a visit from Kozik and Happy since Thursday evening. It was Sunday afternoon and she was relaxing in a tank top and sweatpants, laying on the couch watching TV. It was nice and quiet, something that seemed to be rare for her the past month. She was getting used to having her daily visits from the pair… The distraction they brought to her busy life was becoming a welcome one. Sort of.

An urgent pounding on her door startled her. She took off the cozy blanket she was under and walked over to answer it. There stood the two men in question.

It was as their roles reversed today, though. Kozik looked mean and irritated whereas Happy looked, well happy. She couldn't help but to also notice Kozik's paler than usual complexion. He was sweating though, seemed jittery.

"Who pissed in your cheerios, blondie?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Don't be a bitch," he replied. "For once, can you just keep your little trap shut?"

"You don't have to be here if you don't like it, asshole. It is my apartment."

"Don't worry about him, princess, he just got his ass handed to him by Tig the other day," Happy said, smirking. "He's being a little bitch."

"I told him I was sorry! I don't know what the fuck else to do!" Kozik defended himself, throwing his arms up in the air.

"What did you do to Tig?" she asked, not sure if she really wanted the answer.

"Not Tig," Happy answered. "Missy."

Charlotte walked over to Kozik. "What happened to Missy," she asked softly.

Kozik sighed and looked at her. "I let Missy out while Tig was out Friday afternoon. She got out of the lot and got hit by a car," he explained. She covered her open mouth. "I took her to the vet, but they couldn't do shit. She was already gone."

"Oh my god, that's awful! Poor Tig," she said.

"I didn't mean for her to get hurt! That asshole decided that I did this shit on purpose. Left for Charming yesterday. Took all his shit with him."

Charlotte looked at Kozik, then over to Happy who was still standing by the door. "Did he transfer?"

Happy nodded. "Said he couldn't be around this asshole anymore."

She sat down on the couch. "He must be devastated. He loved that dog," she said, to no one in particular. She looked up at Kozik. "You feeling okay? You look like shit."

He shrugged, biting his nail. "I'm fine, don't worry about me princess."

She stood up and reached out to touch his forehead. He was fevered. "Jesus, you're burning up! Sit down, I'm gonna get the thermometer."

"Only if you come out here in a naughty nurse uniform," he replied with a smirk. "Really, doll, I'm fine. We're only here to check on you. I think it's time for us to go."

He stood up quickly, trying to rush them out it seemed. She turned back to him, her arms crossed. "You know the perks of knowing a future doctor means she could tell you what's wrong with you," she stated simply.

Kozik shook his head. "Don't need a doctor," he replied. "We'll get out of your hair for once. Enjoy your evening, princess."

Happy watched Koz walk out the door. He looked back over to Charlotte who looked expectedly at him. He nodded at her before following Kozik out the door.

December 23rd 1998

Classes were done for the semester, but she couldn't bring herself to go home to Charming. She picked up extra shifts at the hospital, not wanting to deal with the mess she left back home. Not wanting to run into him.

She sat at her kitchen table with a bunch of bananas and a suture kit. She practiced her stitching techniques, perfecting them.

Her front door opened and she didn't look up to see who it was. She already knew it was the two men she was growing used to.

"There's coffee in the kitchen. Still warm, too," she stated, not looking up from her task.

Happy walked straight into the kitchen after the coffee, but she felt Kozik's presence standing next to her.

"What are you doing to those poor bananas?" he asked with a chuckle.

She set down her needle and thread and looked up at him. "I'm suturing them. I'm going to be doing a lot of suturing when I'm a surgeon," she stated simply and went back to her task.

Kozik sat down at the table across from her. "Still can't believe princess wants to be a doctor." He shook his head when he got no reaction from her. "Don't wanna marry some rich guy and let him do all the hard work?"

"Nope."

"That why you didn't marry that cop?" he questioned, seemingly innocently.

She stopped and looked up at him. "We aren't going to talk about that, so if you don't have a better topic, why don't you leave? I'm sure you haven't had your fix yet today," she replied, the last comment she said quietly.

The smile on Kozik's face dropped. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a drug addict and you should really get some help," she replied coolly.

He scoffed. "You don't know shit; I've been clean 6 months."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm a medical student. I know the signs and symptoms of withdrawal. I know an addict when I see one. That shit'll get you killed! There's a great rehab facility that isn't far from- "

"I don't need to go to rehab! Mind your own god damn business!" he screamed, slamming his hands on the table and standing up.

Happy had been listening quietly to their conversation. Now that his brother was getting all riled up, he knew he had to step in.

"Time to go," he said, looking at Kozik.

The pair looked at him. Kozik in anger, his eyes looking murderous.

"This is my home, Kozik. You don't get to talk to me like that. I don't want drug addicts in my house."

Happy pulled him back by his cut. "Time to go," he said again, this time more firmly.

Charlotte stood as they walked towards the door. "You're the only one who can help you. I really hope you figure that out before it's too late," she said and shut the door behind them.

It had been a few days since her blow up at Kozik. Christmas had come and gone. She had gotten the third degree from her mother for not returning home during the holiday. She half expected to see Gemma in her apartment when she got home some days, yet it still hadn't happened.

The two men still showed up every day. Sometimes just Happy, sometimes both of them. Kozik wasn't very chatty with her anymore. Happy had never been chatty, but he spoke more now in front of her. Even asked her questions about her schooling.

"I gotta piss," Kozik said and stood up, taking himself into the bathroom in her small apartment.

Charlotte continued to read the large book in front of her.

"Why do you wanna be a surgeon?" Happy asked from his place on the couch.

She looked over at him. "Not just any surgeon. An orthopedic surgeon," she replied with a smile. "It's a field that's mostly men and a lot of them don't think a woman can or should be doing the job. I like proving people wrong and I intend to be at the top of my class."

"So broken bones and shit?"

"Yes, broken bones, dislocations, limb amputations. I want to do it all!" she exclaimed. "I love all that gory shit."

Happy looked at her, his eyes lit up at the sound of gory shit. "You get to use a saw on people?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah, saws, drills, the works."

"Lots of blood?"

"Blood everywhere! It's like a bloodbath," she replied.

He smiled at her, dimples and all. She stared at him, her heart skipped a beat when she saw his face light up with that smile. She'd never seen him look like that before.

"Sounds like a fun job," he said.

"I can't wait. A few more years of med school before I can get into orthopedics," she replied, smiling at him. The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever before she pulled her eyes from his, looking over towards the closed bathroom door. She suddenly remembered Kozik was there. "He's been in there a while."

Happy had forgotten about Kozik too. He stood up and went over to the bathroom. "Koz, you done in there?" he asked, but got no reply.

Charlotte stood up and went to the bathroom door, where Happy was now pounding on it. "Kozik?" she said through the door. "Come out of that bathroom right now!"

Still no response. The door was locked. Happy motioned at her to step back. He hurled his shoulder into the door 3 times before it broke and opened. There they saw Kozik lying on the bathroom floor; a needle in one hand, a spoon on the floor next to him and his other arm with a tourniquet wrapped around it.

"Jesus Christ," she exclaimed. She ran over and put her fingers to his neck. "He's got a pulse. What an idiot!"

Kozik stirred and pushed her away from him, sending her into the bathroom wall.

Happy picked him up by the cut, holding him up close to his face. "Don't you ever touch her again. If Charming don't kick your ass, I will."

Charlotte slowly got up, watching the two men walk out the bathroom door. "Happy, he needs to get help," she said softly.

Happy looked at her. He watched her tuck a stray strand of long blonde hair behind her ear. Her big green eyes staring into his brown ones. He watched as she licked her plump pink lips then quickly looked away, nodding. He practically carried Koz out the door as he shook his head for his thoughts.


	5. Love is a Losing Game

_Hello everyone! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story :) A few answers to some of the questions I've gotten. First, Kozik was using drugs the whole time, but the whole Missy/Tig leaving really triggered him. Second, Charlotte/Jax are twins and are 22. Happy is 28._

 _Keep reading and keep reviewing!_

* * *

 **December 31** **st** **1998**

It was New Year's Eve around 9 pm. Charlotte had picked up an extra shift at the hospital that evening. She didn't have many friends here in Seattle, so she didn't have any plans for the night. In fact, she had a bottle of wine chilling with her name all over it.

She hadn't seen or heard from Happy or Kozik since the incident a few days prior. She was curious as to what came of the situation, but she knew better than to stick her nose in club business.

She was leaving the hospital when a gust of wind hit, causing her to pull her coat in closer to her body. It was freezing. She thought about how she should've drove to work that day, but it had been warmer earlier.

She heard a motorcycle coming down the road. She stopped in her tracks to see who it was. Happy.

He pulled up next to her, gave her a nod. "Hop on," he said, his gruff voice sending a chill down her spine.

She walked over to him. He took off his helmet and gave it to her, a gesture she didn't expect from him. She put it on and slowly moved to sit behind him. She contemplated where to put her hands; she hovered them over his shoulders, then hesitated by his waist.

He grabbed her arms and wrapped them around his waist. "Ain't gonna bite you, little girl," he said, a smirk on his face she couldn't see.

She held on tightly. She could feel his hard body underneath his leather jacket. It had been a while since she had been this close to a man. She was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

He took off towards her apartment. He wasn't surprised when she leaned with him at every turn, didn't scare easily when he went too fast. He knew she grew up around bikes. He never let anyone ride bitch before. He surprisingly didn't mind having this blonde bombshell riding behind him.

When he passed her apartment, he felt her tense. He continued to his destination, a small bar that was only a few blocks from her place.

She hopped off the bike when he parked, taking the helmet off. "Why are we here?" she asked.

Happy got off the bike and stood next to her. "Need a drink," he replied and walked inside, not waiting to see if she would follow.

She did follow him inside. She saw him standing at the bar, two beers in hand. He led her to a booth near the back. They sat down across from one another and he offered her a drink.

"You okay?" he grunted.

She tilted her head. "I'm fine?" she replied.

"Didn't know if he hurt you," he said, trailing off, taking a swig of his beer.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "I'm fine, he didn't hurt me. I'm pretty tough," she returned with a wink. She knew she should probably keep her mouth shut on the matter, but curiosity was getting the best of her. "So, where's your partner in crime?"

Happy gave her a pointed look. "You know you shouldn't ask that shit," he replied. She only stared back at him, waiting. He rolled his eyes. "Samcro. Rehab."

She nodded, thankful he was honest with her. "I'm glad. He needs to get his shit together," she said. He finished his drink and held up his empty bottle, signaling for another. "Why did you come to the hospital? Aren't they having a party tonight for New Years?"

He nodded at her. "Yeah, so?"

"So, I know that those parties are notorious for flowing boose and lots of pussy," she replied with a laugh. "Why aren't you there with them?"

The waitress brought another beer to Happy and then walked away again. He didn't answer her question, just took another drink. "Why aren't you out with your friends tonight?" he asked.

"I don't really have any friends here," she replied with a shrug. "Don't really have time for that sort of thing."

The two sat in silence for a bit. Happy not wanting to tell her why he was there with her, that he couldn't stop thinking about her. Charlotte not wanting to open her mouth and say something she shouldn't. There was no way she could get involved with this man. It went against what she wanted for her life. Her plan.

Happy was fighting an inner battle himself. Wanting to figure out this woman in front of him, but knowing that if he crossed that line with her it would have many repercussions.

The two made bullshit small talk. They had a few more beers before Happy announced they should leave. He paid the tab and the two were off, back to her apartment.

As soon as he pulled to a stop she was off the bike. "Thanks for the drinks, Happy. This was actually really fun," she said and turned to walk to her door.

Happy got off his bike and followed her up the path. They both could heard cheering and firecrackers going off. She stopped to unlock her door and felt his hand wrap around her arm.

She turned around and look at him. She stared into his eyes, that seemed to have darken in the last thirty seconds. She could hear her neighbors singing "Auld Lang Syne", but it was fading. She looked down at his lips and with the liquid courage she had left in her, she leaned forward, touching her lips to his.

Happy stood frozen in place. He responded to her kiss quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her arms found their way around his neck, bringing him as close to her as she physically could.

Just as quickly as it began, it stopped. She pulled back, her hand flying to her lips as if they had been burned. Happy opened his eyes and looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. She looked even more sexy with her lips swollen from their kiss.

Charlotte saw the hunger in Happy's eyes and felt a burning deep in the pit of her stomach. She panicked. "Happy New Year," she exclaimed and walked into her apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Happy stood there, stunned. Did that really just happen? He couldn't help the grin on his face. "Happy fuckin' new year," he muttered to himself before he walked back over to his bike, heading back to the club house.

 **January 1** **st** **1999**

Happy had a hard time sleeping. When he got back to the clubhouse it was only 1 am. The party was still in full swing. He didn't feel much like partying and when the few croweaters who were still looking for a bed buddy came at him, he pushed them away.

He was laying in his bed by himself by 1:30, something that was starting to become habit lately. Well, the sleeping alone part anyways. He kept picturing the small blonde beauty that was in his arms an hour ago. Her swollen lips after their kiss. How he'd love to have those plump lips wrapped around his cock. He groaned at the thought, his pants suddenly feeling way too tight.

* * *

Charlotte didn't sleep much that night either. She couldn't believe that she had kissed Happy. She really couldn't believe how great the kiss was. How could a man like that be so tender and gentle? How could she be thinking of doing it again?

She sighed and looked over at the clock from her spot on her bed. It was only 6 in the morning, but she couldn't lay there any longer. She needed to get Happy off of her mind.

She got out of bed and put on running pants and a hoodie before heading out to grab her shoes. A run would help her clear her head.

* * *

A pounding on the door startled Happy awake. He peeked over at the clock. It was just after 7 am. He sat up, put his pants back on from yesterday. Still shirtless, he walked to his door and opened it.

"Okay, before you say anything, I know it's crazy for me to be here right now, but I really needed to talk to you before you get the wrong idea."

Happy was stunned. Was he still dreaming? Or did Charlotte really just burst into his dorm room at 7am?

Charlotte never thought that her run would lead her here, but now that she was here, she was on a mission. "We had been drinking and you've been giving me this look for a while now and I just really can't believe that I did that last night and-" she stopped, finally looking at the man. The very muscular shirtless man that she was up all night thinking about. "Can you put a shirt on please?"

Happy smirked as she averted her eyes. "What's wrong, princess? See something you like?"

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she looked down at her shoes.

He walked up closer to her, daring to reach out and lift her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "What were you rambling about?" he asked.

She stared into his brown, almost black, eyes. She found it hard to breathe with him so close to her. "I didn't mean to kiss you last night," she replied softly. "It can't happen again."

Happy slowly dropped his hand from her chin, letting both hand finally settle on her hips. He lowered his head towards hers, close enough that their noses were almost touching. "That what you came here to tell me, little girl?"

Charlotte forced her eyes closed. "Yes," she whispered back. "It was a mistake."

Happy was loving this. He wasn't used to seeing her so rattled. He slid his arms around her back, bringing her chest to his. "I don't think you believe that. You really seemed to like it."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, it can't happen again," she said and placed her hands on his chest, trying to push away.

"So you admit you liked it?" He gripped her tighter. "Charlotte, look at me."

Charlotte opened her eyes and looked into his eyes. "I can't do this, Happy," she said. "It'll never work."

Happy released her, letting her take a few steps away from him. "That what you came here so early in the morning to tell me?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes, I needed to make sure you knew that I'm not that kind of girl and this wasn't going any further," she replied.

Happy quirked an eyebrow. "Not that kind of girl? What does that mean?"

She scoffed. "I'm no croweater," she returned.

Happy laughed. "No shit," he said. "Never thought you were, princess. Hence the whole 'princess' thing."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Well I know you're not the relationship type. Hence the whole 'this won't work' thing."

All teasing aside, Happy looked down at her with a blank stare. "You don't know a thing about me, Charlotte. You only think you know," he replied. He walked back over to his door and opened it more. "You said what you had to say. Now go."

She was shocked to say the least. She looked at the man she had shared a kiss with seven hours ago. His jaw was set, he looked agitated. She slowly walked out the door without another word.


	6. All I Want Is You

**January 4** **th** **, 1999**

Happy Lowman wasn't the chasing type. In his entire adult life, he had always been pursued by women. He never had to work very hard to get pussy. He wasn't the 'boyfriend/girlfriend' type either. Why waste time with that when they were already willing to sleep with him?

But when Happy started looking in on Charlotte Teller, something started to happen to him. He couldn't get that chick out of his head. And the way she just came to the clubhouse to tell him off? God, she looked so sexy. The things he wanted to do to that woman…

But she was right, he wasn't really the relationship type. He couldn't remember the last relationship he had been in. It stung a bit to hear her say it, but it was true. He had quite the track record for being a womanizer. A new girl every night. But things change.

He wanted to change…

It was Monday afternoon and Charlotte had been in classes all day. It was the first day back from the holiday break. It was also three days since she had seen or heard from Happy. Not that she wanted to hear from him. She told him it wouldn't work and he was respecting her choice, right?

By 4:30 she was walking up to her apartment. Once inside, she dropped her backpack by the door and laid on the couch. She would have a lot of reading to do tonight. She had been a little distracted in school.

She forced herself to get up and went into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She picked up the heavy backpack and set it on the kitchen table. She took out her books and spread them on the table.

She sat down and started reading. Well, trying to anyways. She sighed and put her head in her hands.

A knock at the door startled her. She stood up and went to open the door. Her distraction stood there on the other side, a plastic bag in his right hand.

"Hey," she said and stepped aside. "Come on in."

Happy nodded and walked inside the small apartment. He held up the bag to her. "I brought you some dinner," he explained. "You like Chinese food?"

Charlotte smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks, Happy, you didn't have to do that."

He shrugged and sat down at the table, looking at all the books there. "You just got out of class and you're already studying? Don't you ever take a break?"

She set the bag of food on the counter and began emptying the contents, her stomach growling at the scent of it. "Didn't really retain much in class today," she replied. "But if I want to stay at the top of the class, I've got to study every day."

Happy watched her bring two plates of food to the table, one for each of them. He didn't eat right away. He watched her begin scarfing food down and he chuckled a little bit. "Well, I'm glad that you'll actually be eating something instead of just drinking coffee."

Charlotte stopped eating and looked up at him. "God, I must look like a pig. I'm sorry, this is the first time I've eaten today."

He shook his head. "Nah, don't get all self-conscious on me now. I like a woman that eats," he said with a wink and began eating his own food.

She rolled her eyes and continued eating. "Nothing's changed, you know. I still can't do this with you."

"Do what? Eat?"

She set down her fork and look pointedly at him. "Happy, you come here to check up on me because you're in my stepdad's club. Let's not mix business with pleasure."

Happy ignored the comment and continued to eat. "Why are you so scared of me?" he asked.

"I'm not scared of you!" she exclaimed. "Just because I don't want to sleep with you means I'm scared of you?"

"Nah, that ain't it," he replied. "All I'm asking you to do is give me one chance, one date."

"I can't date you, Happy."

"Why not? Don't give me a bullshit answer either."

She paused, thinking out her answer. "I don't share." Happy raised an eyebrow at her. "When I'm with a man, I'm the only one with that man. I know the rules of the club and I think it's bullshit. There's no having sex with other women on a run. If you're with me, you're with me."

Happy crossed his arms. "That what this is all about? You're worried I'm gonna fuck other women?"

"No, I'm not worried about that because we're not going to be together," she replied, crossing her arms.

"Is that so?" he said, standing up. He pushed her chair back and knelt in front of her. He rests each hand on the armrests beside her. She tried to avoid his eye contact. "You don't think about that kiss?" She shook her head quickly. "No? You ain't tempted to do it again? Touch me again?"

Charlotte closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding, her breath quickened. "N-no, I don't think about it," she replied.

Happy put her hands on his shoulders then put his own on her face. He put his nose right up against hers. "You sure about that? Your body is tellin' a different story," he almost whispered.

She shuddered at his touch. "It doesn't matter. I don't wanna end up like- "she cut herself off.

"End up like what?" he encouraged.

Charlotte finally opened her eyes. Tears glistening, she replied, "My mother ruined my father. The club? It isn't a place for relationships. I've seen them all destroyed in some way. Besides, I don't exactly have the best track record with men."

Happy wiped the tears that escaped her green eyes. "Charlotte, you ain't your mom and I ain't your dad. You can't deny that there's something going on here between us. I ain't asking you to marry me, girl. I'm asking you to go out to dinner with me this weekend. One night won't kill you. If you don't wanna do it again, we won't. I won't keep bothering you."

Charlotte felt like she was looking at a different man than before. It was a side of him she had never seen. Maybe there was more to the man behind the leather kutte. "One date," she said.

Happy grinned. "One date," he repeated and leaned forward to kiss her, unable to resist anymore.

She fell into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Happy moved his arms around her waist and pulled her out of the chair. The pair ended up on the floor, Charlotte on top of him. They broke apart, laughing.

"God, you're good at that," she said, looking down at him.

He smirked. "You should see what else I'm good at," he replied.

She laughed again and pushed herself off of him. She stood up and offered him a hand. He took it and stood as well. She walked back over to the table and sat down, finishing her meal.

"I'll pick you up Friday after class?" he said, walking over to the door.

"You're leaving?" she asked, looking up.

Happy nodded. "Yeah, I got what I came for," he replied with a wink. "See you Friday." He closed the door behind him.

Charlotte felt her cheeks burn red. How the hell did that just happen? She rolled her eyes. He totally tricked her! At least he said just one date, she thought. Then he'd leave her alone.


	7. First Date

_Thank you to everyone reading my story. I know it's been a very long time since I've updated, and I apologize for that! I bought my first house earlier this year, so I've been really busy between that and work. But enough about that, here's another chapter and I am working on the next one. Thanks for your patience and Happy New Year to you all!_

 **January 8** **th** **, 1999**

Charlotte went to class every day, but had a hard time focusing the entire week. While she told herself she shouldn't care, she obsessed about what outfit to wear, what shoes to wear, should she put makeup on?

It was Friday afternoon and she was just finishing class for the day. She decided to wear black skinny jeans with a long sleeve floral top and a pair of heeled booties. She put on subtle makeup, had curled her hair and left it down.

As she walked out of the building, she started to feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Why was she so damned nervous? Why would she be worried it might go badly? Maybe she was worried it wouldn't…

She shook her thoughts from her head. She walked out towards the parking lot and saw him sitting on the side of his bike, watching her. When she got close enough, she gave him a small smile.

Happy watched Charlotte as she walked towards him. She looked so incredibly amazing to him and she wasn't even showing off any skin.

"Hey," Charlotte said when she finally stopped in front of him.

Happy stood up from his spot on his bike. "Hey, how was school?" he asked, handing her his helmet.

She gave him another smile. "It was good, thanks for asking," she replied and put the helmet on. "Where are we headed."

He shrugged. "Little place not too far. Why don't you hop on and find out?" he suggested, sitting back down on his bike.

Charlotte felt the butterflies battling in her stomach again, but got on the bike behind him. This time she didn't hesitate to scoot up close and wrap her arms around his waist, her chest pressed against his back. Happy smirked and started his bike. He sped down the street, knowing it was cause Charlotte to hold on tighter.

She couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her. He didn't look dressed up, still wearing his normal blue jeans, black hoodie and white shirt under his leather kutte. At least she didn't have to worry about being under dressed.

He pulled into a park, she didn't see the sign to read the name. He parked the bike and the pair got off. They walked a ways, Happy had a hold on her hand, leading her. She smiled when she saw their destination, a picnic table with a basket sitting atop it.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" she said with a small laugh.

Happy turned to her and gave her a rare smile, dimples and all, "I got a few tricks up my sleeve." Charlotte sat down and Happy walked around to the other side of the table, opening the basket. "Might've had a little help." He admitted.

She raised her eyebrow. "An old lady or two?" she joked, making him laugh and nod.

"If you get too cold or don't wanna sit out here, tell me. I know it's only in the 40's."

She shook her head. "No, it's actually not bad. I'll let you know though."

He set a sandwich in front of each of them and grabbed them both a beer. He took a long pull on his beer before setting it back down. "Hope you don't mind not going to someplace fancy. Ain't really my style."

"Me either," she admitted. "I mean, I like getting dressed up and all, but I'm more of a simple date kinda girl. No fuss."

Happy nodded and the two fell into a comfortable silence and began eating.

"What is the name of this park anyways?" she asked him. "I've never been here before."

"Charlotte's," he replied, she just looked at him. "It's called Charlotte's Blueberry Park." She couldn't seem to find words. It was rather sweet that he picked a park with her name. Happy shrugged. "Guess you can pick blueberries in the fall or some shit."

"Leave it to you to find the one place with my name," she cut him off, her smile beaming at him. "My, my, you've really put some thought into this, haven't you?"

Happy smirked. "I was only given one date. I haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet," he teased.

Charlotte laughed. "Well, I'll just keep my mouth shut."

They finished eating and Happy tilted his head towards his bike. "I wanna take you some place. Wanna show you something," he said and they both stood up.

Charlotte felt herself relaxed behind him, her helmeted head resting against his back. She fought off all the voices in her head screaming at her to stop, to push away from him. For this one afternoon, she was just going to enjoy being a woman with a man. Just this once.

He pulled off the road by a lake. The view was stunning. They walked up to the rail and looked out at the water. First standing side by side, then Happy stood behind her, his arms on either side of her. Charlotte shivered as his body made contact with hers. "You cold?" he whispered in her ear.

Unable to speak, she nodded, and he tightened his arms around her. "I come here sometimes when I need to think," he said. "Shit with the club, shit with my ma; it all kinda disappears when I come here."

"It's beautiful," she said when she finally found her voice.

She felt Happy shake his head before he nuzzled in by her neck. "It don't even hold a candle to how beautiful you are," he replied, kissing her neck softly.

A lone tear fell down her cheek. What was he doing to her? All those big, wonderful walls she had built around her heart seemed to be falling down. She turned around in his arms to face him. "Thank you," she said, looking up at him.

Happy brought one hand to wipe the tear that fell down her face. "Why you crying, Char?" She shrugged. He shot her a look. "Don't do that, tell me what's wrong."

She took in a shaky breath. "Happy, this is really sweet and I want to thank you for this afternoon." He stared at her, trying to search her eyes for clues. "I just-"

He leaned down and kissed her, cutting off her sentence. He didn't think he was going to like what she was going to say anyways. He felt her lean into his kiss so he tightened his right arm around her, using his left hand to dive into her hair, grasping the back of her head.

All of Charlotte's thoughts swirled around in her head as she fell deeper into his kiss. She brought her hands up, resting them against his chest. His hard, muscular chest. She moved them around to his back, holding him to her. Would this be such a bad thing? It felt so good, so right.

Happy was the first to pull back. He looked at Charlotte, who still had her eyes closed. She looked dazed, her lips plump from their kiss. "Come on, Char, I'll get you home," he said softly.

She opened her eyes at his statement. Green met brown. She just nodded and the pair walked back to his bike. The ride home she felt strange. She knew that the ball was in her court now. He would leave her alone if she asked him to. She had kept her word and went out with him on one date. Why didn't she feel relieved that it was over then?

A short while later he pulled up to her apartment building. She slid off the bike and pulled his helmet off, handing it over to him. Happy looked at her from his place on his bike. Charlotte stared back at him, trying to read him, but his eyes were blank.

She stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks again, Happy," she said softly. She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. She pulled back, gave him a small smile. "Maybe we can do that again sometime. You know, if you wanted to."

Happy let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, his lips curling up into a smile. He nodded. "Hell yeah," he replied. He stood up off his bike and led her up to her door. He waited for her to unlock and open her door before her pulled her back to him, kissing her deeply.

He pulled back, all too quickly for her liking. "That's how ya kiss someone goodnight, princess," he said, throwing her a wink as he walked off.

Charlotte smiled and closed the door behind her. She slid down against the door until she was sitting, a smile on her face. She just hoped she did the right thing.


	8. White Liar

_Hello everyone! So this next chapter is short, but I've already got another 2 chapters written after this one! I promise to post another one on Friday or Saturday! Thank you all for reading my story and reviewing, it keeps me going. I have a lot of plans for this story as it will be a long one (we are only in 1999 right now people!) but I have a ton of different ideas for other Happy/OC stories. Hope you all continue to enjoy!_

 **February 2** **nd** **1999**

Lee had been President of the Tacoma charter of the sons of anarchy for a long time and a member from practically the beginning of the sons. He had seen men enter the club and leave the club, under good and bad circumstances. He had known Happy since he had been a prospect, when Tig brought him into the club after a stint in prison.

In all that time he had known Happy, he had never seen him quite the way he had been over the past few months. Something was different. He didn't touch the croweaters, he wasn't at many parties, and if he was at parties he didn't stay for long, and he was spending less and less nights at the clubhouse.

To Lee, it reeked of a woman, but he didn't dare ask Happy. Not yet, anyways. Happy had always kept his private life just that. Private. He decided instead to just keep an eye out for his younger friend. As long as it didn't interfere with club business, he didn't have a problem with whatever Happy was doing.

Happy opened the door to Charlotte's apartment, letting himself in as he usually did. He could hear music coming from her bedroom and faintly he could hear her singing to it. He shut the door behind him, a smile on his face.

She wasn't expecting him to be there yet, he was an hour early, but he couldn't help himself when Lee dismissed him early for the day. He had to see her, touch her, kiss her.

He could hear the shower running as he got closer to her bedroom door and he stopped. He turned around and walked over to sit at the bar at the counter top. They hadn't gotten that far yet. While he was dying to see her naked and everything in his body was screaming for him to barge into her bathroom and take her right there against the shower wall, he wanted to go at her pace. Something that was new and foreign to him; giving a shit about a girl's feelings.

Charlotte sang along with Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" as she turned off the shower. She stepped out, still humming along, and placed a towel around her body. She used another towel to wipe off the mirror.

She walked into her bedroom and over to her vanity. She sat down and plugged in her blow dryer. As she looked on her vanity she noticed her medication bottle and had a moment of panic. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed.

Happy heard Charlotte yell and jumped up from his seat, bursting into her room.

Charlotte turned at the noise of her door opening. "Happy, what are you doing here?" she asked, grabbing a hold of her towel in front of her chest to cover up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "I heard you scream."

She nodded. "I'm fine, really. How long have you been here?"

Happy shrugged. "Maybe 10 minutes," he replied. "I was waiting in your living room. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay, I was just scolding myself for being an idiot sometimes," she said, shaking her head.

"You could never be an idiot," he returned. "Why would you think that anyway?"

"It's nothing, really. I just have to call my doctor for a prescription refill, I forgot I'm out. You need to go back out in the living room so I can get dressed," she stood and pushed him towards the door, changing the subject. "I won't take much longer."

Charlotte shut the door behind him and let her breath out. She didn't really want to explain the Teller family curse to him just yet. For all he knew, she was extremely healthy, and honestly, she was. But she took daily medication for her heart. Sometimes she forgot she was "sick" because she kept it to herself.

This time she really did forget. She hoped her doctor in Charming would allow her another call in of her medication, just this one last time. She didn't have much time to find a doctor out here yet.

She sat back down at her vanity and started to blow dry her hair.

Happy sat down on the couch this time, turning on her TV. What kind of medication could she possibly be on, he thought. She seemed to be the epitome of health. He'd have to remember that, even though she didn't seem to want to talk about it. He knew she rushed him out on purpose. He reminded himself to ask her about it later.

Almost 40 minutes later, Charlotte walked out of her bedroom. She had pulled her hair into a long side braid and put on light makeup- some mascara and lipstick.

Happy liked it best when she wore simple makeup or none at all. He smiled at her. "Gorgeous," he said.

She returned his smile. "Thank you," she replied. "So, what's the plan?"

He shrugged. "I was thinking we could hang out here, order in?"

"Oh, you want to stay and make out on the couch, huh?" she teased, walking up to him.

He reached out for her, pulling her to his chest. He leaned down so his face was right up to hers. "I could think of worse ways to spend an evening," he replied, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

Charlotte leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. "Sounds like the best kind of evening to me."


	9. It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

**February 12** **th** **, 1999**

Charlotte couldn't help the smile on her face as she left school for the day. She was no longer having trouble focusing and her grades were just as she hoped they would be, top of her class. She had just aced a big exam and she planned on celebrating that evening, hopefully with Happy.

Her smile got even bigger at the thought of him. The two had spent almost all of their free time together. He even helped her study. She was surprised by him all the time, she never knew he could be so interested in her school work. It was great. He was going at her pace, too, which she appreciated. He never pressured her for more than she was comfortable with.

She had walked to campus that day and started down the street towards her apartment, with Happy Lowman on her mind. She heard the roars of a motorcycle and turned at the sound. She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized who was on that bike.

He pulled up next to her, a lazy grin on his face. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said.

Charlotte threw herself into his arms, a few tears escaping her eyes. "Jackson Teller, what in the hell are you doing here?" she squealed in his ear, hugging him as tightly as she could.

Jax laughed and pulled back a bit to look at his sister. "Samcro is in town," he replied. "Club business. I wanted to come see you first though. I don't think everyone has even made it into town yet. Opie was right behind me."

As if on cue, another bike came down the road, revealing one of her very best friends, Opie Winston. She walked away from her brother and over to the tall man, giving him a hug. "Well, I am just the luckiest girl in the world right now," she said to the pair. "How long do I get you two for?"

Opie smiled at her, "Hop on, we'll take you to your place. We can hang for a few, but you'll have to come to the clubhouse tonight! Gonna be a big party."

She got on the bike behind him, putting on the helmet he offered. She told him how to get to her apartment. She was a little nervous about the clubhouse party. She hadn't actually been to the clubhouse since she had been spending time with Happy. She was certain no one knew about the two of them. She for one hadn't said anything, and she knew he wasn't much for talking in general.

He also hadn't mentioned that Charming would be making the trip up to Tacoma. That made her wonder if he even knew they were coming.

The three walked into her apartment and she showed them around. The boys settled in on her couch and she brought them all a beer. "I think I'm still in shock that you guys are here! The only thing that could make this better is if Annie was here!"

Opie shook his head at the mention of his younger sister. "She's just as bad as you are," he replied. "She's a workaholic."

"Besides, we're not really here for a social call," Jax reminded her. "She wouldn't have been allowed to come, you know that."

"Oh, thank god, that means mom isn't here," Charlotte teased. "Listen guys, I'm sorry I haven't made it back home in a while. I've just been avoiding it really and-"

There was a knock at the door that stopped her mid-sentence. She stood up and walked over to answer it. It was Happy. "Oh, hey Happy. Come on in. My brother and Opie are here," she said quickly, giving him a warning.

He nodded at her, walking inside. Jax and Opie stood up, greeting their friend. "Hey brother, good to see you," Jax said. "I wanna thank you for keeping an eye on my sister, keeping her safe."

"No problem," he replied shortly. "Clay said I'd probably find you two here. Church in an hour."

Jax and Opie looked at Charlotte. "Guess we've gotta head out," Opie said.

Jax hugged his sister. "You better make it tonight. We've got a lot of catching up to do," he told her.

Charlotte shrugged. "I don't know, I've got a lot of studying to do," she replied. All three men looked at her. "Alright, alright, I'll take a break tonight! I'll see you all later."

Jax and Opie walked towards the door, Happy stayed put. "You coming man?" Opie asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you, bro," Happy replied and the two other men left. He turned to Charlotte when they closed the door. "Hey."

She smiled at him. "Hey yourself," she replied, closing the distance between them. She reached up and kissed him briefly. "How do you feel about me going to the clubhouse tonight?"

He looked down at her, his arms wrapped around her. "It's up to you," he replied.

"Well, nobody knows about us," she said. "And I know you don't like lying about anything."

Happy let out a breath. "I ain't gonna lie about shit," he returned.

"I don't know if telling them is a good idea right now. I mean, we just got together, Happy."

He stepped back from her and narrowed his eyes. "What does that have to do with it?"

"I'm just saying, maybe we don't go telling them anything yet. I like having you all to myself," she said with a smile, trying to reach for him again.

He pushed her hands away, gently but firm. "Fine," he replied and walked towards the door. "Gotta go."

Charlotte jumped a little when he slammed the door behind him. He obviously didn't like her idea. She hadn't seen him this upset before. She wasn't sure how her brother would react, or Clay.

She and Clay didn't always see eye to eye. She didn't have much use for him. She had had a father, she didn't need Clay as a stand in after he passed. She thought her mother moved onto Clay way too quickly, one of the biggest strains on their relationship was Clay. She had always been a daddy's girl, she wouldn't turn her back on him just because he died.

She decided to work on her homework for a couple hours and then get ready to go to the clubhouse. She knew that the party would be in full swing by 9 and go all night. She had plenty of time.

Charlotte arrived at the Tacoma clubhouse around 9:30. The parking lot was filled, but she had found a spot. There were people hanging out outside at the picnic tables set up, she recognized a few of them and waved when they waved her way.

She walked inside and was greeted by loud music, loud people and the smell of booze. It was an old familiar ambiance. She had grown up in the clubhouse in Charming, it was taking her back to when she was 16 when she went to her first club party.

She walked through the room, searching for any sign of Happy, her brother, or any of the guys from Samcro.

"Lookie what the cat dragged in!"

Charlotte turned to the voice and felt herself being crushed to Bobby Elvis. She grinned at him. "Hey, Bobby! Did you bring any muffins for your favorite girl?" she joked, returning his hug.

Bobby laughed and released her. "No such luck, darlin'," he replied. "Next time you come to town, I'll make some special just for you."

She nodded at him. "I'm gonna hold you to that! Hey, have you seen Jax anywhere? I doubt I'll be able to find him on my own."

"Sure, I'll take you back to him. They're back playing pool," he said and led her back further into the room.

Charlotte saw Jax as they approached. He was playing pool, as Bobby had said, with Tig, Happy and Opie.

"Hey guys, look who I found!" Bobby announced and the four men looked over towards her.

Jax, Opie and Tig smiled at her. Happy glanced her way before looking back at the pool table. "Hey guys," she said. "What's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?"

Opie handed her a beer. "Finally decided to take a break from all that doctor stuff?"

Charlotte took a long pull on the beer he handed her before answering. "Yeah, I'm done with my work for the night. Opie, how's Donna? The kiddos? I'm kind of surprised she let you leave when she's alone with those 2 babies."

He laughed. "She practically pushed me out the door," he replied. "Guess I'm driving her crazy."

The two sat down at the table next to the pool table. "Why's that?"

"I don't know how to do anything the 'right' way," he returned, using air quotes. "She's got her own system and doesn't like how I change their diapers. Or feed them. Or anything."

Charlotte shook her head, laughing a little. "She's still a new mom, she'll get tuckered out and appreciate any help you give her, just give her some time," she put her hand on his arm. "Twins are hard, just ask my mom."

Jax sat down next to his sister, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair. "So, what do you do when you don't have your nose in a book?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't have time for much else," she returned. "Med school is pretty demanding. Plus, I have my job at the hospital too."

Bobby and Tig joined the three at the table. Happy leaned against the pool table, listening in on their conversation. "You sure do look happy, kid," Tig commented. "You sure it's just school that's got you smiling like that?"

All 5 men looked at her. Her face flushed a bit. She looked at each one, Happy a little longer than the others. "There may be someone that I've been seeing," she admitted, Jax looked at her, surprised. "But it's new and I'm not ready to get into that with any of you! Please respect that."

"What's his name?" Jax asked.

She glared at him. "Jax, did you not hear what I just said? I really like this guy and I don't want my brother and his friends to scare him off."

Happy scoffed at the comment of being scared, but didn't say anything. Jax looked at his sister. "Fine, I'll let it go. For now."

She silently thanked him. "What about you, little brother? Who is the latest conquest?" She looked around the room. "Or is it just another sweetbutt for tonight."

The men at the table laughed, Jax included. "I like the single life for now," he replied, also looking around the room. "Any recommendations, Hap?"

Everyone looked towards Happy, who was still leaned up against the pool table. Happy shrugged. "Tried one, tried 'em all."

The men all laughed. She hoped the pain in her eyes didn't show. She knew he had slept around, but she was hopeful that he wasn't currently sleeping with the croweaters. They hadn't exactly put a label on their relationship, so technically he could do whatever he wanted. They hadn't yet slept together; she couldn't really blame him if he found it elsewhere.

Charlotte stood suddenly, interrupting the conversation that they were having. "I'm gonna go get some air," she said and walked away before anyone could say anything to her.


	10. Listen To Your Heart

Once Charlotte stepped outside, she kept walking, trying to catch her breath. Why did the thought of him with anyone else hurt so badly? She wasn't naïve, she knew he had slept with many women. It wasn't that long ago that she wanted nothing to do with the man, right? She still barely knew him.

She stopped close by the entrance and slid down to the ground, her back against the wooden fence. She took in a few slow deep breaths, closing her eyes.

"You okay kid?"

She looked up and saw Tig. She ran her hand over her face and gave him a small smile. "Hey, yeah. Sorry. I guess it's been a while since I drank like this," she said lamely.

Tig nodded and slid down next to her. "Yeah, you always were too good for us hooligans," he replied, nudging her shoulder. "I don't think that's what's wrong, though."

"I'm fine, Tig, I promise," she said, trying to convince herself. "I will be anyways."

He put his arm around her shoulder and Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. "I may be wrong, but I think it has something to do with Happy," he said softly. She tensed. "That's what I thought. I just know you two both pretty well, I don't think the others saw it. I won't say anything if there is something going on, but you should. Jax will be more pissed that you didn't tell him right away."

She sighed. "What if he tells me not to see him anymore?" she asked. "I just want more time. It's too new."

Tig gave her a little hug. "You said you're afraid we'll scare your guy off. You think that man scares easily?" she shook her head no. "You're damn right he doesn't. Listen, I've known Hap a long time. He's never gave any girl a second thought. From what Lee tells me, Hap don't spend many of his nights at the clubhouse anymore, and the ones he does he goes to bed alone. Hasn't touched a croweater for a long while now. Probably as long as he and shithead have been looking in on you."

Charlotte looked up at him, surprised. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Yeah, maybe you should give the guy a little more credit. You know he don't like lying about shit either. You should go talk to your brother, kid."

"You're probably right," she said softly, standing up. She offered him and hand and helped him up. She hugged him. "Thanks, Tiggy. You're the best."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome, kid. Now I gotta go find me some company for the night," he said with a wink and walked off.

Charlotte walked back inside the clubhouse. She made her way to the back where they had all been sitting. She put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "Can I talk to you?" she asked him, her eyes flashed to Happy briefly before landing on her brother again.

Jax nodded and led his sister to an empty corner. "You okay?" he asked.

She took in a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay, but I need to be honest with you and you might not like it." Jax sat up a little straighter, but didn't say anything. "You know the guy that I'm seeing. In fact, he's a son. I've been keeping it to myself because I'm afraid of how you'll react."

Jax's jaw was clenched. "Who is it?" he asked.

"Happy," she replied.

Jax looked at her, trying to decide if she was serious or not. "Happy? Big, scary bald dude? With all the tattoos?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's the one I'm talking about. We started talking because he and Kozik were over almost every day and then he asked me out. I turned him down at first, but now we're dating. And it's new and-"

Jax walked away from his sister. She was shocked because she was still mid-sentence and he stomped off, a man on a mission. She quickly took off after him. When she caught up with him, he was standing in front of Happy. "Ring." That was all she heard Jax say.

Happy looked away from Jax to look at her. He looked back at Jax and nodded. The two men walked past her and back outside. Tig turned her around and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What is happening?" she asked.

"They're gonna work it out the best way they know how," Tig replied. Charlotte looked up at him. "With their fists, doll."

"I thought you were going to find a croweater?" she asked him as they walked out towards the boxing ring out in the yard.

Tig shrugged. "Hard to find talent out here in Tacoma," he said and she hit him in the stomach. "Nah, watching a fight? Almost as good as sex. Almost."

Charlotte groaned. "I don't want to watch this! Who exactly am I supposed to be rooting for?"

"Well, well. Hello Charlotte, Tig. Either of you have any idea what this is all about?"

The pair turned towards the voice. Clay. Charlotte looked at Tig, who shrugged at her. She looked back at Clay. "Yeah, I know what it's about."

Clay looked at her when she didn't elaborate. He raised his eyebrows. "And?"

"I'm seeing Happy. I told Jax. Here we are," she said shortly. "You've got something to say about it as well, I'm sure."

Clay looked surprised, shocked even. "You're dating the Tacoma Killer? Sweet, little Charlotte? Well that is unexpected," he said with a laugh. "Your mother ain't gonna like this, sweetheart."

Charlotte had completely forgot that telling Clay was as good as telling mom. She could feel her chest tighten up. This day, that had started out so wonderfully, was turning to shit. "My mother didn't like me dating David either, and yet she was going to let me marry him," she replied.

Cheers broke out all around them. The fight had begun. She was too afraid to look. She could hear punches being landed on flesh. She cringed with every blow. She just hoped and prayed they didn't kill each other.

"I don't know what brought this on, but I'm surprised Jax wanted to fight the killa!" Opie said, standing next to her. "Come on, Char, you've seen Jax fight before."

She just shook her head. "Just tell me whose winning," she replied. "I can't look."

"Well, Jax is getting in a lot more punches than I'd expect, but Killa doesn't even look fazed by it," Opie returned. "So, it's up in the air right now."

Charlotte kept taking slow, deep breaths. Maybe this was all just a dream. A horrible nightmare she would wake up from soon. She lowered herself to the floor, finding it hard to breathe, a pain in her chest.

"Char, you okay?"

She heard the voice, but it sounded distant.

Tig held onto Charlotte as she sunk to the floor. "Opie, go get Jax and Hap outta the ring. Now!" he said. He tapped Charlotte on the face, trying to rouse her. "Charlotte, wake up." She was out, cold. He knew she had the same heart condition that Gemma had. She needed a hospital and fast.

Tig picked her up and started out towards the van that they brought up from Charming.

Opie jumped in the ring, separating the two men. "You two are gonna have to settle this some other time. Something's wrong with Charlotte."

Both of them looked around the room, searching for her. Happy saw Tig carrying her and tapped Jax on the chest. "Tig's got her."

The three men hopped out of the ring and followed after Tig. "What happened?" Jax said when they reached him.

"She couldn't watch the fight. Started hyperventilating, fell to the floor. I know she's got Gemma's bad heart, she's gotta go see a doctor, man." Tig replied, placing her in the back.

Happy jumped inside the van, next to her. Tig got into the driver's seat. "You two coming?"

Jax shut the back door. "We'll follow behind, just get her to the hospital," he replied and stepped away.


	11. This I Promise You

Jackson Teller hated hospitals- the smell, people running around, the feeling it gave him in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't been in one since his dad died 6 years ago. All those feelings came rushing back as he sat in the waiting room. They had taken Charlotte back into a room almost an hour ago. He sat with Tig and Opie while Happy paced back and forth.

Happy. His sister was dating Happy Lowman, the Tacoma Killer. He couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips at this thought. He had to admit, they were quite a pair when he thought about the two and their personalities. His initial reaction had not been good, he could admit that, but he'd do anything to see his sister okay again.

"She's gonna be okay, man. She has to be," Opie said next to him, his hand on Jax's shoulder. "They're gonna come out here any minute and say she's fine."

Jax nodded next to him. "She has to be," he replied, running his hand down his face. "Hap, sit down, brother."

Happy shook his head. "Her meds," he said.

"What about them?" Jax asked.

"The other day, she said she needed a refill. I forgot to ask her what kind of meds she was talking about," he replied. "Do you think she forgot to get them?"

Jax shrugged. "Shit," he said softly. "The family curse."

Tig stood up. "All of you, shut the hell up," he said, looking at all three of them. "Just wait for the doc to come out and tell us how she is. I'm gonna go find a payphone and call Clay so he can call Gemma. Lord knows I ain't gonna be the one to tell her that Charlotte's in the hospital."

"Fuck," Jax cursed again. "I forgot about telling ma."

Opie patted his friend on the back. "Be glad you don't have to be the one to make that phone call, brother," he joked.

The doctor came out shortly after and walked over to Jax. "Jackson Teller?" he asked, earning a nod. "Your sister is going to be fine. She is awake and stable, but she really needs to go see her cardiologist. She can't be skipping medication doses. She's been off her heart meds for over 10 days. I'm surprised it took this long before she had an episode."

"Can I see her?" Jax asked the doctor.

The man nodded. "We've moved her up to a room on another unit. I'd like to keep her overnight for observation. I'll have a nurse show you where she is," he said and walked back into the emergency room.

Tig walked back over to the three. "Any news?" he asked.

"She's gonna be okay," Jax said. "They're gonna show us her room. She's awake, but I want to talk to her first. Alone."

The other 3 men nodded. A nurse came out and took the four up to the unit where Charlotte's room was. Tig, Opie and Happy stayed in another waiting room while Jax went to talk to Charlotte.

Charlotte lifted her head off the pillow as Jax walked into her room. "Hey little brother," she said.

Jax walked up to his sister. She had wires coming off of her chest. He could hear the steady beat coming from the monitor. She looked tired, worn down. He felt terribly responsible for her being there. "Hey Char," he started. "You look like shit."

She laughed at his comment and it was like music to his ears. "I feel like shit," she replied. "You gonna yell at me for missing my meds?"

He shook his head. "No, but that was a really stupid thing to do, Char. That's not like you to forget."

"I know, I just have been so busy with school and work and Happy…" she trailed off. She reached for his hand. "There's no excuse that I can make that makes any of it okay. But trust me when I say I don't ever want to be in a hospital bed again so this will never, ever happen again."

"I hope that's true," he replied. "Back to the Happy thing."

Charlotte closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Jax, I-"

"It's been too long since I've seen that smile on your face, sis. Well, before I came here that is. He put that smile there. You're definitely in your element out here. I just don't want to see you hurt."

"He makes me really happy," she said, squeezing his hand. "He also knows how many people might try to kill him if he hurts me."

Jax nodded. "Yeah, he's gonna get the big brother talk from several members," he laughed. "But I just watched him pace the waiting room for the past hour, beating himself up over this. I can honestly say I've never seen him so torn up like that. He's different."

"I was afraid to get close to him at first, but he's proven all my doubts wrong thus far," she replied. "So the two of you waited for me together?"

Jax smiled. "Ope and Tig were there too."

Charlotte scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "What, no _daddy_ _Clay_?" she said sarcastically.

"Be nice," he replied. "He's actually at the clubhouse, probably on the phone with mom right now as we speak."

"Oh, she better not come out here. I will be out in the morning!" She groaned.

Jax leaned forward and kissed his sister on the forehead. "I'm gonna go get Happy, if that's okay with you? I think he's losing his mind out there."

Charlotte took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding. She watched her brother step out of the room. She laid her head back against the pillow and crossed her arms. She hoped Happy wasn't angry with her.

Happy watched Jax come back down the hallway towards them. "She's asking for you, man," Jax said to Happy.

He nodded and walked past him quickly down the hall. He opened the door and saw her laying there, connected to IV's and wires. He felt a twinge in his stomach. He didn't like that feeling.

She sat up as he entered the room. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he replied from his place by the door.

"Are you going to come any closer or are you gonna hang out by the door?" she asked.

Happy slowly walked towards her. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. "You okay?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, Hap. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Why didn't you tell me about your heart condition?" he asked. "This is because of those meds you were talking about the other night, right?"

"Happy, I know you're upset because I didn't tell you. Honestly, it's not something I like to talk about. I mean, my little brother died because of this heart problem. It's a family curse," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "I forget I'm sick sometimes because I do everything in my power to make every other aspect of my life healthy. That's why I run almost every morning. I eat right and I drink enough water. Most days, I don't feel like I'm sick."

"But you are, baby," he interrupted, scooting closer to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "And there ain't nothin' wrong with it. But I wanna know. I need to know so I can take care of you. Make sure you're taking care of yourself."

Charlotte smiled at him through her tears. "I won't say this in front of the others, I know you have a reputation to uphold," she started, earning a raised eyebrow from Happy, "but you're the sweetest man I've met since my dad died. And I'm sorry I was so mean to you at the beginning."

Happy leaned forward, careful not to pull out any of the wires or IV's attached to her, and kiss her softly. "I knew eventually you wouldn't be able to resist me," he replied and she hit his chest. Happy laughed at her. "Don't do this shit ever again, Charlotte. Promise me you won't miss your meds again."

She looked up at him, amazed that he cared about her so much, so quickly. She had been so wrong before. "I promise, Hap," she said softly and kissed him once again. "There's one other thing I want to say."

Happy pulled back from her. "What's that?" he asked.

"I'm in this," she said looking in his eyes. "All the way. You haven't pressured me for sex, and I appreciate that. Lord knows how badly I want you."

Happy's eyes darkened. He took in a breath. "Why do I feel a but coming?"

She smiled. "But there's something I need to do first. Something that has been weighing on me for 6 months now."

"This about that cop?" he asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Happy, I don't have feelings for him or anything like that, but I do still have his ring and I haven't seen him since I left him at the alter last year." He nodded slowly, encouraging her to continue. "I need to be rid of him completely. I need to go back to Charming to give him his ring and say my peace. Then you and I can really be together without anything looming over our heads."

"When can you do that, though, you got school," he said, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

She shrugged. "Spring break is in a few weeks, in March. I can go then. Go face my mother, too. I'm sure she's gonna have a few things to say about my hospital stay," she replied, rolling her eyes at the mention of her mother.

Happy looked at her for a few moments before nodding again. "You do what you gotta do," he said. "But you know, you gotta have your protection detail with you, right?" He grinned at her.

Charlotte laughed. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said and pulled him in for a hug, laying her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for understanding, Happy."

Happy pulled back so he could look her in the eyes again. "I know that I haven't been a relationship guy in my past, Char, but you need to hear this," he started. He placed his large hands on either side of her face. "I am in this, too. Ain't going nowhere, girl."

Charlotte placed her hands over his and leaned forward to kiss him.


	12. Homeward Bound

**March 6** **th** **1999**

It was a Saturday morning and Charlotte's alarm went off at 5 am. She was heading to Charming that day, staying the week at her mother's request. She was ready for it, but also dreading it at the same time. Confronting David would be the hardest part of her trip.

She rolled over towards her bedside table and turned off her alarm. She had just an hour to shower and get ready before Happy, Bowie, Donut and Lorca would be there. She was glad Happy wouldn't be riding alone, since he refused to ride with her in her "cage."

Luckily, she packed the night before. She took a 20-minute shower, got dressed and braided her hair to the side while it was wet. She made sure to grab her medication, taking one out before putting the bottle in her purse.

She walked out to her living room with her purse. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee. It was almost a 13-hour drive to Charming. She would definitely need the caffeine today.

At exactly 5:55am there was a knock on her door. She smiled and walked over to answer it. Happy stood on the other side of the door. He grinned when he saw her. He picked her up in his arms, holding her close for a kiss.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss. "Good morning," she said pulling back to look at him.

"Yeah, it is now," he replied, setting her on her feet. He looked over at her suitcases. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just need to put those in my car and I'll be good to go."

He stepped away from her, grabbing the bags. "I got em. You lock up."

She smiled and watched him walk back out the door, her bags in tow. She grabbed her travel mug, purse and keys before following him, locking the door behind her. When she got to her car she saw Bowie, Donut and Lorca standing by four motorcycles.

She waved at them. "Good morning," she said with a smile.

They all nodded at her. Happy closed the trunk of her car and walked up to her. "Portland is about 2 ½ hours away. Thought we'd stop there for breakfast then try to push through to the California boarder. That's about another 5 hours. Get another bite to eat then finish the last 5 ½ hours. That okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. I filled up my tank yesterday. Do you guys need to stop before we head out?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Stopped on the way over," he replied. "Lorca and I will be riding in front of you, Donut and Bowie in the back."

Charlotte smirked, knowing he was just being protective. "Okay, I'll follow you guys," she said, opening the driver door.

She sat down and Happy leaned in. "Be careful," he said before kissing her.

"You be careful," she replied when he backed away and closed her door.

* * *

They had reached Portland and she followed Happy and Lorca off the exit. The drive hadn't been bad so far. She listened to the radio, singing along. It helped to kill the time. This was the shortest leg of their trip, though. She tried not to think about the next 10 hours she'd be trapped in her car. Her legs were already feeling cramped.

They all pulled off into a little diner. Charlotte parked her car and got out, stretching. The five walked into the diner, Charlotte headed straight to the bathroom to pee.

She came out of the bathroom to find the four men at a corner booth, a spot left for her next to Happy. She knew of the other three men, but didn't know them very well. She stayed quiet, letting them all talk.

She stared into her coffee, getting lost in her own thoughts. What the hell was she going to say to David? How was he going to act when he saw her? How soon after she got there would her mother pick a fight?

She felt Happy nudge her leg with his and she came out of her trance. "You okay?" he asked.

She looked up to see all four men staring at her. She forced a smile. "I'm fine, sorry. Lost in my own head," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

* * *

It was almost 8pm when they rolled into Teller-Marrow Automotive. Charlotte was drained. Her nerves were shot; all she could think about was confronting David. Why didn't she just tell him before she went to Washington that she didn't want to be with him, give him back his ring and she would've been done with it!

Happy and the guys had all gotten off their bikes, but Charlotte was still sitting in her car. He waved the others ahead before walking up to her door, opening it. "Hey," he said.

She gave him a small smile. "Hey," she replied.

"Wanna get outta that cage? You been in it all damn day," he said, looking at her pointedly.

She sighed. "Yeah, my ass is numb," she returned, taking the hand he offered.

When she stood Happy reached around, grabbing her ass with both hands. "May be numb, but it's still a nice ass," he joked, trying to get a reaction from her without much luck. "Hey, you okay? You feel alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Just tired, I promise."

He didn't quite believe her, but he let it go for now, nodding. "Let's go inside," he said.

"CHARLOTTE!"

She smiled at the voice of her mother. She didn't know she'd be so happy to hear her voice. Gemma practically ran to her, hugging her close. "Hey, ma," she said, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother.

Gemma pulled back a little and hit Charlotte on the arm, hard. "Don't you ever do that shit ever again!" she yelled and then pulled her back in her arms.

"Which part," Charlotte asked, laughing slightly.

"All of it, smart ass," Gemma replied. "Running off without so much as a goodbye. Not coming home for holidays. Not taking your goddamn medication!"

Happy walked away from the two women and inside the clubhouse. Charlotte looked up at her mother. "I'm sorry. I'm taking my meds again, ma, I promise," she said. "I do have to say, I was shocked that you didn't drive up to Tacoma to drag my ass back here."

The two started walking towards the clubhouse. "Trust me, I got into my car many times, but Clay made me stay put," she replied. "I'm just so glad you're here, sweetheart."

"Me too, ma," Charlotte said with a genuine smile.

There was a party in full swing. Happy and the Tacoma guys already had drinks in their hands, chatting with their samcro brothers. Charlotte took in a deep breath. It had been a long day on the road, she wasn't up for a party.

"What are you drinking?" Gemma asked her.

Charlotte shook her head. "I'd really rather just go to bed," she replied. "Not really up for this."

Gemma nodded. "Well, why don't you leave your car here. I can drive you back to the house. We can catch up a little," she suggested.

"Yeah, let me just tell Hap," she said and Gemma smirked. "I'm sure you'll want to talk about that, too, huh?"

"Top of my list, darlin'," she replied.

Charlotte walked through the crowd, smiling and waving at the guys she knew. She found Happy over by the bar, taking shots with her brother, Tig, Opie and the other guys from Tacoma.

She greeted Jax first, pulling him into a big hug. "Hey, you look much better than the last time I saw you," he said with a wink.

She hit his chest. "Yeah, yeah," she replied.

Opie offered her a shot. "Joining in?" he asked her.

She laughed. "While that's so very tempting, I think I'm gonna pass," she said and then looked at Happy. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"

Happy nodded while the others catcalled after them. He led her over to a quieter hallway where the dorms were. "You okay?"

"I'm exhausted," she replied. "Mom is gonna take me to her house so I can go to bed, okay?"

"You ain't gonna stay here? Sleep with me?" he asked with a smirk.

Charlotte smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That sounds so wonderful, but you won't be going to bed for several hours, I'm sure, and I think I'm going to fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow," she explained.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Be safe," he said and leaned down to kiss her.

"Come by in the morning to pick me up?" she asked, pulling back. "I wanna take you somewhere."

He nodded and kissed her again quickly. "Yeah, I'll see you in the morning, baby."

She grinned and hugged him close one last time. They walked back out to the bar where Happy sat again. "Guys, I'm leaving," she said.

"Jesus, you just got here!" Jax said.

"Hey, at least she said goodbye this time," Opie joked.

"Ha. Ha," she mocked as they all laughed. "Seriously, I'm going to Ma's house. I've been sitting in a car for 13 hours, I gotta get some sleep. And don't worry! I'll be here for a week, you'll be sick of me by then. Don't miss me just yet!"

Tig stood up and hugged her. "You good, kid?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Just tired. Long day and all."

"Everything's gonna be okay," he said quietly. She looked at Tig, fighting back tears, and nodded. "I'll walk you and Gem out." The two headed towards the door.

Charlotte was so thankful for Tig. He really did know her very well. He spent many years in the Charming charter when she was growing up. He hadn't jumped charters until about a year after her dad died. He had been the one she talked to after he passed. He always knew what she was really feeling and what to say to make her feel better. He never tried to take her father's place, as Clay had. He was just there whenever she needed him.

"I'm really okay, Tig," she started. "I'm just scared at how things are going to go with David."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Don't you worry about the cop," he said. "He's gonna be hurt, that's for sure. Just say your peace, let him say his and be done with it. Let it all go."

The pair reached Gemma. Charlotte hugged Tig one more time. "Thanks, Tiggy. You always know what to say."

"Good night, ladies," he said and kissed Gemma on the cheek.

"You ready, sweetheart?" Gemma asked and Charlotte nodded. "Grab your bags and put them in the trunk."

Charlotte grabbed her 2 bags and put them in the trunk as she asked. She got into the passenger seat and sighed.

"Rough day?"

"It was a long drive," she replied shortly. "I'm just ready to go to bed. Start fresh tomorrow."

"You aren't getting out of it that easily," Gemma said, turning out of the parking lot. "You've avoided talking to me about this for 8 months, Charlotte Harley Teller, but no longer! Why the hell did you let me help you plan a wedding you were planning on not going through with it?"

She sighed again. "Ma, can we please talk about this in the morning?"

"No, I want to talk about it right now! Why, Charlotte?"

"Mom, I wanted to marry David… until I didn't," she replied. "It's hard to explain. Aren't you glad I didn't go through with it anyways?"

"Sure, I am, but that's not the point!"

"Isn't it, though? I know you're just dying to say I told you so!"

"I told you this would happen!" Gemma yelled. "And he's just been a real peach since you left!"

Charlotte scoffed. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry that I didn't go through with it or I'm sorry that I did? Either way I can't take it back!"

"You're lucky I didn't follow your ass to Washington," Gemma said.

"Oh, did _daddy Clay_ make you stay home instead?" Charlotte asked. "Because he was finally rid of me? I know he fucking hates me, ma. He wormed his way in with Jax, but he's not my father and you can't expect me to treat him like he matters to me."

"Oh, that's really nice, Charlotte! That man stepped up for all of us after your father died."

"Bullshit! He was there for you and Jax. Tig was there for me. He was the only adult that was there for me," she returned. "How did this conversation get here? Can we just both shut up now?"

"No, we can't just both shut up," Gemma snapped back, but the car grew quiet for a few minutes. "But you can tell me how you managed to land the Tacoma Killer."

Charlotte looked over at her mother, the woman who had just been yelling at her and she had been yelling at just minutes before. Gemma was smiling now, a knowing look on her face. Charlotte shook her head. "How I 'landed' him?" she asked with a laugh. "Jesus, ma, I wasn't trying to bag me a son. It just happened."

Gemma grabbed her daughter's hand and squeezed it. "He's a loyal man. A strong man. I wouldn't trust anyone more with my daughter," she said. "Kinda scary looking though."

Charlotte threw her head back and laughed. "That's what everyone says. I don't think he's scary. To me he's just… Happy."

The mood in the car was much lighter now. Gemma had just pulled into the garage of her home and shut off the car. The two grabbed Charlotte's bags and went inside the house. "Go get some rest, baby. I'll see you in the morning," Gemma said, giving Charlotte a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Night mom," Charlotte replied and walked up the stairs to her old bedroom.


	13. You Know I'm No Good

Charlotte woke the next morning at 10 am. She sat up and stretched her sore muscles before getting up out of bed. She walked down the stairs wearing a baggy t-shirt and pajama shorts.

She could hear voices coming from the kitchen and then her mother's laughter. She walked into the kitchen to see Clay, Happy and her mother. She cleared her throat and they all turned to her.

"Good morning, sweetheart," her mother said. "I thought you'd never wake up!"

"Morning," she replied. "Clay."

"Charlotte," he said with a nod, taking a sip of his coffee.

She smiled at Happy. "Hey, sorry I slept so late."

He shook his head. "It's okay," he replied. "Haven't been here long."

"I'll go get ready really quick and we can go," she said, turning back towards the stairs.

"Take your time," her mother called. "I'm just getting to know Happy a little better."

Charlotte cringed and ran up the stairs. She decided against taking a shower, that would take too long. She changed out of her PJ's and into jeans and a V-neck white t-shirt. She brushed her hair quickly and braided it to the side. She put on some mascara and pink lip gloss. She put on her black converse shoes and grabbed the small box that held her old engagement ring and put it in her purse before running back down the stairs.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said, interrupting her mother who was sitting at the table with Happy. "Sorry, ma, we gotta go."

"You don't want breakfast?" Gemma asked as Charlotte grabbed Happy's arm, pulling him up from his seat.

"Nah, not hungry," she replied, now pulling him to the door.

"Don't forget your medicine!" Gemma yelled down the hallway.

"It's in my purse!" Charlotte yelled back and closed the front door behind her. She stopped pulling on Happy's arm and turned to face him. He was grinning down at her. "What? What did she say about me? What embarrassing story do I have to explain?"

He shook his head. "Nothin'," he replied.

She crossed her arms. "Why don't I believe you?" she narrowed her eyes at him. "Did she tell you about my 16th birthday?"

"No," he replied. "What happened at your 16th birthday?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. Happy grabbed onto her arms, holding her in place. "Nothing that I'm willing to talk about right now. Come on! We should go before she follows after us."

Happy let go of her and followed her down to his bike. He got on and waited for her to get on behind him before he offered her his helmet. "Where to?" he asked.

"Head towards the clubhouse. There's a diner on the way. I'm starving," she replied, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He laughed. "What, you didn't want to have breakfast with your mother?" he yelled over the engine.

She tightened her grip around his waist. "Shut up and drive," she said and he headed down the driveway.

* * *

It wasn't but 10 minutes later they reached their destination. A few other motorcycles were out front and they weren't surprised to see some of the guys inside the diner.

Bobby, Chibs, Tig and Jax were all sitting at the corner booth and waved the couple over. "We just ordered if you want to sit with us," Bobby said.

Charlotte looked at Happy who nodded and the two sat down, Charlotte next to Bobby and Happy next to Chibs.

"Get enough rest, princess?" Jax asked his sister who rolled her eyes.

"Yes, _Jackie_ , I did," she replied. "How was the party last night?" she asked no one in particular.

"Everyone missed ya, lass, o' course," Chibs said. "We had no fun at all."

Bobby and Tig laughed at the statement. "It was a samcro party, doll. You know they're always out of control fun," Tig said with a wink.

The waitress came back around and Happy and Charlotte placed their orders.

"How's life, kid?" Bobby asked her.

She smiled at him. "Things are really great right now, Bobby," she replied. "I'll be done with my first year of med school in 2 months. It went by so fast."

"We're all real proud of you, Char," he said. "Can't believe John's kid is gonna be a doctor."

"Some days I can't believe I'm really going to be a doctor," she replied. "But someone has got to take care of all of you."

"Thank god for that," Tig said. The waitress came back with their drinks and food and everyone focused on their meals.

They sat around for a little while longer, talking and sipping on their coffee. The group all stood up to leave. Charlotte took Happy's hand in hers and the other four men were watching in awe of their brother as he didn't pull away from her. They hadn't seen him this way. Ever.

"Does that freak anyone else out?" Tig asked quietly, the other three men nodded. They all followed the pair out the door.

"How about a kiss you two loooooove birds?" Bobby teased as they all made it outside.

Charlotte laughed at Happy who rolled his eyes at the group. She grabbed him by the kutte and brought him down for a kiss. The two separated and she looked at the four men.

"Happy now?" she asked. They all had shocked looks on their faces, but they seemed to be looking past her, not at her. She turned around to see _him_. "David," she said softly, releasing her grip from Happy.

David Hale walked quickly up to the couple, specifically Happy, pushing him up against the wall.

"David! What are you doing?" Charlotte yelled. She reached out and pushed him away from Happy, who had his hands up. "Stop it, he-"

David grabbed her arm and placed it behind her back. "That's assault on an officer," he said, loud enough for the group to hear. "I'm taking you in."

"You've gotta be shitting me," Tig said, all 5 club men walking towards David, who had Charlotte up against the wall now.

David placed his free hand on his gun. "Back off! All of you," he said, looking at Happy.

"Let. Her. Go," Happy said, emphasizing each word, his voice deeper than usual and his eyes turned black with rage.

Charlotte looked to him, trying to make him look in her eyes. "Happy, don't. It's okay. I'm fine," she said, then looked towards the others. "He knows this is bullshit. Just come get me at the station. Jax, call mom. Have her call Unser."

David cuffed her and walked her to his squad car as he watched the group of men. He pushed her into the backseat before getting in the driver's seat and speeding off.

"What the fuck just happened?" Bobby asked.

"The prick didn't like what he just saw," Tig replied. "He's a fuckin' tool. Jax, go call Gemma. Then we'll all go to the station."

* * *

Charlotte sat in the backseat of the squad car in disbelief at how quickly her day turned to shit. She watched David as he drove; both hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He didn't so much as look in the rearview mirror, not wanting to catch a glimpse of her.

"David, this is a bullshit charge and you know it. If you know what's good for you, you'll stop the car and let me go," she said, as calmly as she could muster. He only drove faster. "If anyone assaulted anyone, it was you assaulting Happy." Nothing. No reaction. "David, I know you're pissed at me, but-"

He pulled into the station and slammed on the brakes. He hopped out of the car and opened her door, pulling her out roughly. He walked her into the station and straight back to a holding cell, pushing her inside.

Charlotte looked out at him. "Aren't you going to uncuff me?" she asked but he walked away, ignoring her. "THIS IS BULLSHIT!" she screamed. "I HAVE RIGHTS, YOU KNOW!"

There was no response. She sighed and sat down. Well, so far, her talk with David was going really well. There wasn't much she could do if he refused to listen.

She tapped her feet on the ground. She attempted to pull her hands out of the cuff, but stopped at the pain it caused. They were too tight. How long could he possibly leave her in there? She just hoped that Jax got a hold of their mother. She would have her out of there in no time.

* * *

After what felt like several hours, but in reality, was about 45 minutes, she heard fast footsteps down the hall. She stood up and walked up to the bars and was met by Chief Wayne Unser. "Jesus Christ, are you okay?"

Charlotte nodded. "I'm fine. Cuffs are a little tight," she replied, gesturing behind her.

"Hang on, I'll get you outta there, sweetheart," Chief Unser said. He opened the cell and took off the cuffs. "What the hell happened, Charlotte?"

She rubbed her wrists. "You need to ask your officer that question," she returned.

David Hale appeared behind Unser. He stood there, staring at her in silence.

"Apologize to her," Chief Unser said.

He shook his head. "She deserves worse," he replied.

"It wasn't a request!" Chief Unser yelled.

"No, it's okay, Wayne," Charlotte started. "I'm sorry, David. I'm sorry that you had to see me with Happy and I'm sorry that I hurt you. I admit, I went about things the wrong way by leaving right before our wedding. Honest, David, I never meant to hurt you. It took me a long time to even consider coming back here to talk to you, but you deserve to hear this." She started walking towards him. "I couldn't marry you. I realized I didn't want all the things you wanted me to be. Not yet. I have ambitions, David. You knew how badly I wanted to be a doctor. A surgeon. You wanted me to put my career on hold; to be a housewife. I just... I took a look at my life and it wasn't enough. You wanted me to leave my family behind because you didn't like the way they lived their lives! They may not be perfect, but they're my family and I love them. There was no way that was ever going to work for me."

She paused. She stood right in front of him now. She reached into her purse, getting out the ring he had given her. "You deserve someone who wants the same things you want, David. Someone who loves you. And as much as I liked and cared about you, I didn't love you. I'm sorry that I ran off and left you standing there at the altar, but I couldn't go through with it."

David snatched the ring from her, glaring. "Are you done?" he asked. She nodded. "I always knew I shouldn't have dated you. That you'd always be sucked in by your hillbilly biker family. You're just like your biker whore mother."

Charlotte reached out and slapped him. "Don't talk about my mother like that. You say whatever you want about me, be as mad as you want at me, but don't you dare bring my mother into this," she said, fuming. She turned to Chief Unser and gave him a nod. "Thanks, Wayne."

She walked out of the station and was met by her mother and a few of the sons.

"Thank you for calling Unser," she said to her mother.

Gemma pulled her daughter in for a hug. "We should sue the little prick."

Charlotte shook her head. "He's not worth it," she replied.

"How was your first stint in lock up, kid?" Bobby asked with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Charlotte shook her head. "I'm never going to live this one down, am I?" she asked and he laughed. Everyone started walking over to their bikes but Happy.

She walked up to him and he gently took her hands to look at her now bruising wrists. "I should kill him," he muttered, only she could hear him.

"Hey, I'm fine," she said. "You don't have to kill anybody, it's just a little bruise. I'm not a porcelain doll, I'll be fine."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Doesn't make me want to kill him any less," he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Still up for that ride?"

Charlotte shook her head. "I feel like having a drink," she replied.

He winked at her. "C'mon, I'll buy you a drink at the clubhouse," he teased.

She laughed and they walked together over to his bike. She hopped on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She breathed a sigh of relief. Though her confrontation with David didn't go quite as she planned, she finally got it over with. She could finally focus on the things that made her happy.


	14. The Madman

_Hello lovely reviewers and readers! This chapter isn't very long, but I think you're gonna like it ;)_

 **Chapter 14**

Happy was pissed. He wanted to drop Charlotte off with her family at the clubhouse then go back to the station. Wait until Hale was alone then take him, torture him for a while before killing the prick. He knew all the best places to bury a body. He was sure no one would miss him.

Maybe he should just take her back to Tacoma, he thought. She'd never have to worry about that prick again if they were back home. Did she think of Tacoma as home? Or Charming?

Charlotte was surprised when Happy got on the highway instead of going towards the clubhouse like he had said. She just wrapped her arms a little tighter around him as they picked up speed.

About 15 minutes later Happy pulled off the highway. He turned off his motorcycle but didn't move to get off. He just sat gripping the handlebars then releasing, gripping and releasing.

"Happy?" Charlotte asked, almost a whisper. She loosened her arms from around his waist and brought them to his shoulders. "Are you okay?" When he didn't speak she slipped off the bike to stand next to him, wanting to see his face.

Happy didn't look towards her. He stared off at the ground, seemingly focused on something.

"Happy, what's going on?" she asked, starting to worry.

He finally looked at her, his eyes darker than she'd ever seen them before. "Do you know what I do for the club?" he asked.

Charlotte looked at him for a few moments before nodding. "You're an enforcer," she replied.

He scoffed. "I kill people, Charlotte," he spat. "I kill people and I like it."

She had figured he had killed people, the way Kozik and Tig had joked before. She knew he was a dangerous man, but she had never been afraid of him. She trusted him. "Happy, are you trying to scare me? I'm not afraid of you. I know you'd never hurt me."

"I want to kill that prick cop," he said, finally getting off the bike. "I want to torture him slowly then kill him and bury his body deep underground for fucking touching you."

Charlotte slowly stepped closer to Happy. She slid her hands up his chest until they connected behind his neck. "He doesn't even matter, Happy," she said. "He doesn't get to touch me ever again. The only man I want touching me is you."

Happy stared at her, his arms still at his side. "I got a lot of blood on my hands," he stated.

Charlotte brought her hands up behind his head. "The only thing that scares me Happy," she started, "is how quickly I'm falling for you." His eyes seemed to soften, if only a little.

He brought his hands to her waist, pulling her as close as he could. "I don't think anybody but my ma has ever loved me before," he told her before kissing her forehead.

She shook her head before pulling him down for a real kiss. "I know you don't think that you deserve it, but you deserve to be happy," she said and kissed him again.

Happy lifted her into his arms, his anger dissipating. "I've never felt this way before," he admitted. "I would do anything to make you happy, Charlie."

She smiled. "My dad used to call me that," she said. "I like it."

Happy grinned at her. "It's okay to call you that?" She nodded. He let her down from his arms and walked with her back to the bike. "Still up for that drink?"

She shook her head. "Everyone is back at the clubhouse. I want to be alone with you," she said, bringing his arms back around her.

Happy let out a low growl as she raked her nails over his scalp. "I ain't taking you to a motel the first time," he managed to spit out.

She stood on her tip toes and kissed up the side of his neck. "My mom's house is empty," she said in his ear before biting his earlobe.

He leaned down, kissing her hard. His hands moved from her waist to her ass, squeezing. He pulled her close, pressing his growing hard on against her. "Jesus," he muttered. "You are so fucking sexy."

Charlotte looked up at him, her eyes clouded with desire. "I want you so bad, Happy," she replied.

Happy released her from his grip. "Get on," he ordered as he hopped on. Charlotte jumped on behind him, scooting her pelvis as close to him as she could, before he took off in the opposite direction that they had been going in.

The vibrations of the bike as Happy sped down the highway had Charlotte all hot and bothered. She wanted to touch Happy, explore his body, but stopped herself knowing it would only distract his driving. She had never felt such desire for a man before, not like this.

They had been dating for 3 months and sure there had been some heavy petting, but this was the real deal. She was happy she waited, it made it all the more exciting.

Happy had never been so hard in his life. He sped down the road. He couldn't wait to see Charlotte wriggling beneath him.

They reached the house in record time. Charlotte hopped off the bike, Happy right behind her. She searched for her keys in her purse while he pressed his body against her back, moving her hair to kiss her neck. His hands reached up, finding her breasts.

She let out a moan, leaning back against him. "Oh, Happy," she said, her hands on top of his.

Happy continued his exploration of her breasts, reaching one hand underneath her bra. He teased her nipple between two fingers as he bit down slightly on her ear. "Keys," he muttered, reaching his other hand down until he reached the front of her jeans.

Charlotte dropped her hands from his, trying to focus on finding the keys. She pulled them out and fumbled with the door. "Fuck," she said, frustrated. She finally turned the key and pushed the door in.

They stepped inside and Happy kicked the door closed behind him. He took his hands away from her as she turned to face him. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Bedroom?"

She laughed at his caveman like actions. "Upstairs, second door on the left," she said as he began ascending the stairs.


	15. Bump N' Grind

_Thank you to my readers. It's nice to know my dirty thoughts about David LaBrava as Happy Lowman are appreciated and shared by many others ;) Enjoy and remember to leave me a review! Helps to motivate a quicker update!_

 **Chapter 15**

Once they reached her childhood bedroom, Happy tossed Charlotte on the bed. He took off his kutte, setting it on her dresser. Charlotte sat up and took off her shirt. She laid back and unbuttoned her jeans. He discarded his t-shirt and jeans quickly before crawling on top of her.

He leaned down and kissed her roughly, both arms supporting his weight over her. She ran her hands up Happy's back, feeling the smooth skin. She stopped at his shoulder blades, pressing him into her.

Happy broke the kiss and began kissing down her shoulders. He used his teeth to bring the straps of her bra down. He kissed her breast where it was exposed, delving his tongue underneath where her bra still covered, causing her to moan. She began to sit up, to unclasp her bra, but Happy pushed her back down, continuing his pleasurable torture on the other breast.

He moved further south, kissing her stomach and each hip bone before he finished pulling her jeans and underwear off of her. He helped her sit up and unclasped her bra, sliding it off without taking his eyes off hers. He laid her back down and just looked at her.

Charlotte looked back up at him, fighting the urge to cover herself. She reached a hand up to his arm, trying to pull him towards her. "Happy," she begged.

He shook his head. "I'm admiring," he replied, giving her a smile, dimples and all. "You're fucking gorgeous." She could feel the heat on her cheeks. "Don't be embarrassed, you are. Every single inch of you," he said and leaned back down, kissing her slowly.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her hands on his head. He laid in between her legs, his boxers the only barrier between them. "Happy, I wanna feel you inside me," she whispered.

His eyes darkened and he growled, kissing her again. He suddenly got up and walked over to his jeans, pulling out a condom. He took off his boxers unabashedly and rolled the condom on. He lay overtop of Charlotte again, looking into her eyes. He positioned himself at her opening and Charlotte brought her hands behind his neck, pulling him towards her.

He pushed himself inside her, slowly. "God damn," he muttered, closing his eyes. "So fuckin' tight."

"Happy," she moaned, rocking her hips against him.

He pumped in and out, trying to go slow, but the way she moved against him made him involuntarily speed up. He reached in between their bodies, rubbing her clit. "Cum for me," he said, kissing her neck.

She moaned again as an orgasm hit and Happy continued thrusting into her, finding his own release before he stilled. He lay on top of her for a few moments before he making himself get up. He kissed her softly and got out of the bed, disposing the condom.

Charlotte sighed and watched him walk back to the bed. He laid down next to her, pulling the comforter up over them. She scooted over into his side, laying her head on his chest. "Happy, that was amazing," she said, kissing his chest.

"Hell, yeah it was," he replied, wrapping his arm around her. "We should do that more often," he teased.

She smiled up at him. "Well, I _was_ hoping it wasn't a one-time deal," she shot back, reaching up to kiss him once more.

A ringing sound interrupted them. Happy narrowed his eyes in annoyance and got up from the bed. "I gotta go," he said. "You want to go to the clubhouse so you can have your car?"

"Oh, shit, I forgot it's still over there," she said, grabbing her bra and underwear. "Yeah, do you have time?"

He nodded. "Gotta go there for church," he replied, and the two quickly got dressed. He watched her putting her shoes on. "This ain't how I wanted this to go."

Charlotte stood up and walked across the room to him. "It's okay. We already said we'd do this again some other time," she said with a wink. "We can get it right then."

Happy leaned down and kissed her. "Jesus, are all girls like you?" he teased.

" _Hell no_ ," she returned, pushing him towards the door. "And don't you ever forget it."

* * *

The ride was short to the Teller-Marrow lot. The couple got off his motorcycle and went their separate ways- Happy into the clubhouse and Charlotte went towards the automotive office, looking for her mom.

Gemma looked up when she entered. "Hey, I was wondering where you two went. I thought you were coming here," she said, crossing her arms.

Charlotte shrugged. "We went for that ride after all," she replied. "Busy day?"

Gemma shook her head. "Not really, things are winding down now. You okay?"

"I'm great," she replied with a smile.

"Something's different," Gemma said, staring at her daughter.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Ma, stop psychoanalyzing," she whined, squirming under her mother's gaze. Maybe seeing her right after having sex with Happy for the first time was not a great idea. "I just came to get my car. I was thinking about trying to find Annie. Ope says she's been working a lot."

"That girl practically lives at the hospital," Gemma replied, shaking her head. "She could use a night off."

"So, you're saying I should kidnap her?" Charlotte teased.

"Not in this town," Gemma said. "You were just arrested today, remember?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't remind me. Well, I guess I'll see you later tonight?"

Gemma nodded. "I was thinking about having a family dinner one night this week. You know, while you're still gracing us with your presence," she mocked.

"That sounds really nice, mom," Charlotte replied. "Alright, I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Gemma said and Charlotte turned back around. She opened the drawer next to her, pulling something out. "Clay got cellular phones for everyone, you included. Now I can reach you _anywhere_ , _anytime_."

"Greaaat! That's just fantastic," Charlotte replied, taking the phone from her hand. "This is crazy. What'll they come up with next?"

"It flips open. I saved some numbers in there for you, including Happy's," she said with a wink. "Alright, you're free to leave now."

"Gee, thanks, ma," she said and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Thank Clay for me."

Charlotte put the phone in her purse and walked out of the office. She started walking towards her car.

She heard a whistle from behind her. "Hey sexy lady! Looking for a good time?!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "Annie!" she exclaimed, running towards her friend.

"Hey, Char," Annie replied, hugging her close. "It's been way too long, girlfriend."

Charlotte squeezed the girl even harder. "I've missed you so much, Annie."

"Me too," she said, pulling back. "So, I've got tonight off of work. We should go out!"

The guys were starting to come out of the clubhouse and sit at the picnic tables. Tig laughed at the sight of the two girls.

"Oh, shit there's trouble brewing," he joked, earning some laughs.

Charlotte grinned at him. "Us? Trouble? Never," she teased. "Yes, Annie, we should definitely go out tonight!"

Opie walked over to the pair. "Now, now you two remember what happened the last time you went out on the town, don't you?"

"Oh, go away, _Harry_ ," Annie said. "Nobody asked for your opinion."

"Besides, that was when we were much younger," Charlotte defended. "We're older and wiser."

"Yeah, our ID's are real now," Annie interjected, linking arms with Charlotte. "Let's go get a drink! I hear we have a lot to catch up on."

Charlotte smiled. "Yes, we do! Come on, I'll drive," she said and they waved goodbye to the guys.

Jax shook his head as the pair drove away. "Well, we're gonna have to pick them up from Joe's in 3 hours or less," he said to no one in particular, lighting a cigarette.

"Joe's?" Happy asked.

"Only bar in town besides the Jellybean," Opie replied.

Tig let out a moan. "Man, do I love the Jellybean!" he exclaimed. "Hey, we should go there tonight!"

Jax rolled his eyes. "You have fun, buddy," he said, patting Tig on the back.

"Hey, we should send the prospect after them. Make him chaperone," Opie said with a grin.

"Are you trying to get our sisters to kill us?" Jax replied laughing. "It would torture the prospect though."

* * *

Annie and Charlotte reached Joe's bar and walked inside together. The bar was pretty empty seeing as it was still the afternoon so the pair sat up at the bar.

"What's your poison these days?" Annie asked.

Charlotte thought about it for a beat. "Hmmm, I've been on a wine kick lately," she replied.

Annie scoffed. "Well, that won't do," she said. "We'll take 2 shots of tequila and keep 'em coming."

Charlotte laughed. "Jesus, just how drunk do you want to get today?"

"Did you see your brother today? God, he's stupidly handsome," Annie replied. "I wanna get so drunk that I get the guts to tell him I've loved him since I was a kid."

"Annie, I don't understand why you don't just ask him out! He's an idiot to say no."

"Well, isn't he still hung up on that Tara girl?"

Charlotte shrugged. "I don't see her hanging around, so why do you give a shit about a ghost?" she replied, picking up her shot and gesturing to Annie. "To us reuniting!"

"To us!" Annie repeated and the two downed the shots, setting down the glasses.


	16. Drunk In Love

_**Thank you to all my readers. I really appreciate the feedback. Keeps me going!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

The girls were still parked at the bar a few hours later, laughing and chatting. The bar started to fill up as the evening hours came. They ignored the crowd and continued to catch up.

"Is it nice to finally be making decent money?" Charlotte asked, taking a drink of her beer.

"Yes, it's great! I'm going to finish my BSN next year when I have a little more money saved up," Annie replied.

"I'm so proud of you!" Charlotte gushed. "You've worked so hard for this. You've got your career in order, now you just gotta get your love life in order."

Annie rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. "I wish I could grow a pair and just ask Jax out, but you know me! I've always been so shy around him! It's like, I know what I want to say and I've rehearsed it a million times, but as soon as I get near him I sound like a bumbling idiot."

Charlotte laughed at her friend. "Girl, you know he's human, just like us. And he ain't got shit on you, girl. You're a knockout! Don't be intimidated by the Teller good looks. It's our curse to bare," she teased with a wink.

"You Tellers are way too damn full of your selves," Annie replied and took another shot. "So, tell me. How'd you end up with tall, dark and scary?"

"Why does everyone think he's scary?" Charlotte whined. "He's so sexy, not scary."

Annie stared at her friend. "He's covered in tattoos and he looks like he could kill me with his bare hands," she replied simply. "He's kinda scary."

"He does have some talented hands," Charlotte grinned. "And to answer your question, he kinda pushed until I agreed to go out with him. I thought I wanted to be on my own and figure out my own shit, but I have to say it's really nice to have him around. He's really helpful with school and stuff."

"I'm happy for you. I knew David wasn't right for you. It sounds like you found your match," Annie said. "Now sorry, but I gotta pee and I don't think I can stand on my own."

"Light weight," Charlotte said and waved down the bartender, Jason, who she knew from high school. "We'll be right back, keep our real estate saved for us," she said gesturing to their seats as she stood.

Charlotte put her arm around Annie's waist, just in case, and the pair walked to the ladie's restroom.

Happy, Tig, Jax and the prospect, Juice, all walked inside Joe's bar. The scoped out the room but didn't see the girls. "There's an open table in the back," Tig said and the group of bikers walked back to the open table.

The pair of girls burst out of the bathroom, laughing hysterically. Charlotte was practically carrying Annie as they walked back to their place at the bar.

"Well, the girls are still here," Juice said with a grin that slowly faded away when the other three glared at him. "Sorry, I'll shut up now."

Charlotte helped Annie steady herself on the stool. "Girl, you're gonna get yourself cut off acting all sloppy like that," Charlotte said, shaking her head.

"How are you not as drunk as me?" Annie asked.

Charlotte shrugged in reply. "Guess I just have a higher tolerance than you do," she replied. "Drinking is in my blood!"

"Have you met my dad?" Annie shot back. "Tequila runs through our veins, Char, because of my dad."

She laughed at her friend and reached for her drink. "Gotta love ol' Piney. Always-"

"Well, hey ladies! How are we doing tonight?"

The girls were interrupted by a man neither of them knew. "We're good, dude," Annie said. "Kinda in the middle of something here."

He held up his hands. "Just trying to buy you girls a drink," he replied and put a hand on each of their backs.

The encounter did not go unnoticed by the group of bikers. Happy was the first one up out of his seat.

Charlotte shrugged his hand off. "Don't fucking touch us. Look guy, we don't want any drinks from you or to come sit with you and your friends so why don't you just fuck off," she said, giving him a little push in the chest.

He glared at her. "No need to be a bitch," he said, not moving.

"She told you to fuck off, asshole," Happy said walking up behind him.

The guy turned and looked at Happy. That was all it took for him to run off back to his friends.

Charlotte looked at Happy, lust in her eyes. She felt Annie hit her shoulder. "SEE? Scary!" Annie exclaimed and laughed, almost falling off her stool.

Charlotte shook her head. "Sexy," she replied, her eyes never leaving Happy's.

Happy stepped closer to the girls. "You okay?" he asked.

The pair nodded. "Yeah, thanks, babe," Charlotte said. "Happy, this is my best friend, Annie Winston. Annie, this is Happy Lowman, my boyfriend."

Annie shook his hand enthusiastically. "It's really nice to meet you," she said. "I just hope I remember it tomorrow."

Happy nodded slowly. "Nice to meet you," he replied. "You good here or you wanna come sit with us?"

Charlotte looked to her friend to answer. Annie looked back to the table where the guys were sitting and jumped up after she spotted Jax. "Yep, we'll come sit with you," she said and began walking over before the couple.

Happy shook his head. "She's strange," he said slowly.

Charlotte smiled at him. "She's in love with my brother," she replied then grabbed his arm. "Shit, don't tell him I said that. She'll fucking kill me."

Happy stepped up closer to her, standing between her legs. "It'll cost you," he said, bringing his lips down to meet hers briefly.

She licked her lips and looked into his eyes. "I'm good for it," she replied.

A throat cleared beside them and the pair looked at the bartender. "Sorry, are you heading out? Did you wanna cash out Charlotte?" Jason said.

Charlotte smiled at him. "Yeah, Jason, what do I owe you," she asked, reaching for her purse.

"It's $52.50," he replied.

"Jesus Christ," she muttered, grabbing her wallet.

Happy stopped her and laid down $60. "I got it," he said.

"Hap, you don't have to do that," she replied. "We practically drank a whole bottle of tequila between the two of us."

He shook his head. "I said I got it," he stated, leaving no room for argument. He reached for her arm. "Come on."

Charlotte smiled up at him, letting him lead her to the other table. She was totally smitten. How miserable would she be right now if she had decided not to date him? She shook her head at her thoughts and sat down.

"Hey doll," Tig greeted her with a warm smile. "You two staying out of trouble?"

"Who? Me and Annie or me and Happy?" she asked with a grin, grabbing a hold of Happy's arm, his hand on her leg.

Jax rolled his eyes. "Yep, they're both drunk," he muttered and flagged down a waitress.

"Well, we have been here for several hours, Jackson," Charlotte replied, hearing his comment. "Not like you don't get piss drunk all the time."

"At least I can take care of myself when I'm drunk," he spit back.

"Fuck you, Jax, who says I can't?" she snarled.

"Aright, Jax shut up, Char retract your claws, huh? No need for an argument," Tig mediated. "We're all just out having fun here."

Charlotte crossed her arms. "He started it," she muttered.

"You didn't have to get Annie so wasted," Jax said.

"Hey! I'm a big girl!" Annie said from her spot between Jax and Tig, her head spinning. "Don't blame Charlotte."

"Yeah, don't blame me! It was all her idea," Charlotte said, sticking out her tongue.

Happy leaned over to her, whispering, "Put that back in your mouth or I'll put it in mine."

She shivered at his breath on her neck. "That doesn't make me want to put it back in my mouth," she whispered back.

Happy wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He looked at Jax. "Maybe you should give Annie a ride home. Take Charlie's cage. I'll give her a ride," he said.

Jax looked at the drunk girl beside him, smiling up at him. "Do you mind, Jax?" Annie asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, darlin', I don't mind," he replied, reaching a hand out to his sister.

Charlotte smiled and grabbed her keys, handing them to her brother. "Now you kids be careful!" she teased, winking at Annie.

Jax helped Annie to stand, keeping his arm around her waist. "Bye Charlotte!" Annie exclaimed and the pair walked out of the bar.

Tig, Juice, Happy and Charlotte remained at the table. Tig stood up. "Come on, prospect, we're going to the Jellybean!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"What about Hap and Charlotte? And we just got here," Juice replied, gesturing to the beer in his hand.

"Get up, dumbass," Tig said through gritted teeth.

"Don't leave on our behalf," Charlotte interrupted.

Juice smiled at her. "See? She don't mind!"

Charlotte shook her head. "No, not at all," she replied and looked at Happy. "We were just leaving too."

Happy smirked, pulling her into his side and kissing her forehead. "Yeah, you two can hang out here," he said, standing and helping Charlotte up.

She winked at Tig. "Have fun, boys!" she said as Happy led her to the door.

Happy hopped on his bike and Charlotte got on behind him, holding him close. "You staying at the clubhouse with me tonight?" he asked.

She nodded against his back. "Yeah, I wanna stay with you," she replied. "Can we stop for food? I'm starving!"

He laughed at her as he started the bike. "Sure, baby. Whatever you want."

* * *

 ** _Leave some lovely reviews :)_**


	17. Just A Girl

_What has two thumbs and is going to meet Happy himself, David Labrava, tomorrow at Horrorhound Weekend in_ _Cincinnati, OH? THIS GIRL! I'm also going to meet Ryan Hurst and Tommy Flanagan, so it's gonna be a great day for me tomorrow! With that being said, I'm really fucking excited so I have another chapter here ready for my favorite readers! Enjoy and wish me luck that I don't pass out when I meet them!_

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Growing up as a girl in the SAMCRO world was definitely no easy feat. Annie Winston could attest to that, especially when her older brother, Opie Winston, was over six foot before he reached high school. Annie didn't really date a whole lot as a teen; most boys were intimidated by her brother as well as his best friend, Jax Teller. The pair of boys kept Annie and Charlotte's prospective suiters at bay.

Annie never really minded, though. Since she was about 13 she only had eyes for one boy, Jax. But Jax never seemed to even notice her as anyone other than his best friend's baby sister, much to her dismay.

She sat in the passenger seat of Charlotte's Jeep grand Cherokee, her vison hazy, staring over at Jax in the driver's seat. His eyes were focused on the road ahead of them, his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He glanced her way, the hard, angry look on his face softening a little. "You okay, darlin'?" he asked.

She sighed, oh how she loved when he called her that. Shit, he called all women that, but she could pretend it was just for her. "Mmhmm," she managed. "Jus' peachy."

Jax smirked. "Been a long time since I've seen you this drunk," he teased. "Ain't about some guy, is it?"

"There is no guy," she replied. "Never will be."

He reached over and squeezed her arm. "Nah, don't say that. Some lucky bastard will come along that will get the older brother approval from me and Ope. Shit, I never thought I'd approve of Hap with my sister, but there is something about those two that just works. Kinda scary."

The joy she felt from his touch was fading quickly after his remark about being like a brother to her. She pulled her arm back from him and crossed her arms across her chest. "Whatever," she said with a scoff.

Jax didn't even seem to notice the attitude change in her. Was he even paying attention at all? It didn't take long before he pulled up to Opie and Donna's. Annie had been living there for a while until she found a place of her own.

He put the car in park in the driveway and looked over at Annie, who now had tears running down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, darlin'," he said, reaching over to wipe her tears, but Annie turned her head.

"I'm fine," she replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Goodnight, Jackson." She grabbed her purse and slammed the passenger door closed. She ran up to the front door and fumbled with her keys before finally entering the house, slamming that door behind her as well.

Jax sat in the driver's seat and stared at the front door she had just slammed. What was her deal? He'd have to ask Charlotte about that; maybe something had happened that night.

* * *

Charlotte woke the next morning with Happy's warm, hard body pressed against her back, his arm around her waist. There was simply no better feeling then being in his arms. She felt safe.

She reached her arm down and laid it on his, lacing her fingers over top of his. Happy stirred behind her, his arm moving up her body, with her own, finally stopping to rest at her breast. He kissed the side of her neck.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

"Mmm," was his reply before he bit down slightly. He let go of her breast and laid her on her back before laying on top of her. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, Charlotte moaned into his lips.

A pounding at the door caused the couple to part, a growl coming from Happy. "What?" he yelled.

"Church in 10, brother," Chibs said through the door.

Happy looked down at Charlotte and sighed. "You sure you don't wanna just go back to Washington early?" she asked with a smile. "Get back to our little bubble, all alone in my apartment."

He leaned down and kissed her neck again before forcing himself out of the bed. "Wish we could," he replied as he began dressing. "Got plans for today?"

Charlotte laid on her side, watching him dress. "I was thinking about going to see Annie. See how things went last night," she said. "But I'll probably have to wait for Jax anyways. He'll want a ride to his bike since it's still at the bar."

Happy nodded as he put on the final piece of clothing, his kutte. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Probably got club shit all day today. Be careful. I'll call you tonight," he said and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Charlotte laid in bed for another five minutes before sitting up and stretching. A buzzing from her pile of clothes on the floor startled her. She reached down and picked up her jeans, finding the phone her mother had given her the day before.

She flipped it open and brought it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello? HELLO?! Jesus Christ, Charlotte, I have been worried sick about you! I've been calling you all night! You never came home. You never called to tell me you weren't coming home! I thought you were dead somewhere!"

Charlotte sighed. "Ma, I'm fine. I'm at the clubhouse, I stayed with Happy," she said simply.

"Are your hands broken? Did you get them cut off last night?" Gemma asked.

She furled her brow. "Um…no?"

"Then there's no excuse for not calling your mother when you plan on not coming home!" Gemma screamed.

"Jesus, ma, I'm a little old for this shit, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I _do_ _think_ you're too old not to be responsible enough to tell your mother you aren't coming home!"

"Alright, I give up," Charlotte said, slowly dressing. "There's no winning with you anyways."

"You're damn right there's not," Gemma replied, the anger seemingly dissipating. "Come see me in the office when you're…decent."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone. "God I can't wait to get back to Washington," she muttered to the empty room, putting on her shoes.


	18. Stupid Boy

_David LaBrava is the coolest person I've ever met. He was so funny! Super nice! Took a selfie with me :) Tommy and Ryan were great too. I had the best time! Enjoy the next chapter, lovelies._

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

Charlotte walked out of Happy's dorm slowly. She was in no rush to go see her bipolar mother. She walked down the hallway and into the main room where she saw some of the sons going into church. She walked towards the bar where she saw Bobby sitting.

"There's one of my favorite girls," he said with a smile. He gestured beside him on the bar. "I made muffins just for you, Char."

She gave him a 1000-watt smile and hugged the man. "You are definitely my favorite person right now, Bobby!" she exclaimed and kissed his cheek.

Bobby laughed. "Do I get to tell Happy you said that?" he teased when she pulled back.

She shrugged. "Hey, if he wants to be my favorite he will need to step up his baking game," she replied with a wink, taking one of the muffins. She inhaled the scent. "Mmm, blueberry. My favorite!"

"Bobby! Let's go," Clay yelled from the door, the normal grimace on his face.

Bobby winked at Charlotte and stood. "Enjoy, kiddo," he said and walked over into church, closing the door behind him.

Juice stood behind the bar, staring at the closed door. "Need anything, Charlotte?" he asked quietly.

Charlotte smile at him. "Well, it's too early for beer," she replied. "But milk would go really good with this muffin. You have any back there?"

Juice nodded. "I'll get some from the fridge in the back. Just give me a minute," he said, disappearing.

Charlotte slowly ate the muffin, savoring it. Juice appeared in front of her after a few moments, a cold glass of milk in his hand. "Thanks, Juice," she said and then gestured to the plate. "You want one?"

"Sure, thanks," he replied and took a muffin. "How's your visit so far?"

She laughed. "Well, it feels like it's been very eventful and it is only my third day," she stated. "How long have you been prospecting?"

"I've been here for a little over 8 months," he replied. "Just about 4 months til they patch me in, I hope."

"Hang in there, Juice. It'll be here before you know it."

Charlotte took a second muffin and began eating it. The main door opened revealing her mother and she sunk down in her chair.

"I can see you, you know," Gemma said, hands on hips.

Charlotte looked at Juice. "Wish me luck," she whispered and grabbed her muffin before walking towards her mother. "Bobby stopped me on my way to the office, ma. Sorry."

The pair walked out of the clubhouse and over towards the auto shop office. "I need you to go to the grocery for me today. I'm gonna have a family dinner tomorrow night," Gemma said when they got inside.

Charlotte nodded. "Okay, did you write out a list?" she asked.

Gemma reached into her purse, giving her a list and $200. "Maybe Annie will want to help out?"

Charlotte knew that it sounded like a question, but she also knew her mother too well. Annie would be roped into it either way. Whatever the queen wants, the queen gets. "Okay, ma, I'll take care of it this afternoon. I gotta take Jax back to pick up his bike and then go check on Annie. She got particularly wasted last night."

"Why doesn't Jax have his bike?" Gemma asked.

"He drove Annie home in my car and Hap gave me a ride back here," Charlotte said simply. "I'm gonna stick around for him to get out of church then I'll drop him off at Joe's, it's not a big deal."

"Did you ask him to do that?" she raised an eyebrow.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at her mother. "No…why?"

"Honey, he's a man. He needs a nudge in the right direction," Gemma replied with a shrug.

"How is it that you know everything about everyone?" Charlotte asked flabbergasted.

"Please, Charlotte, the girl has been making eyes at him since she was still a kid. Jax and Opie are too dumb to see that."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it," she said. "I mean, short of coming out and saying Annie is in love with him, I just don't know what to do to help him see."

Gemma smiled at her daughter. "Take Annie shopping for a new outfit for the dinner. We'll get her all dressed up and she'll get plenty of attention from all of the guys. Nothing like jealousy to get him to notice her," Gemma said simply.

"Your mind is scary sometimes," Charlotte said, shaking her head. She stood up from her chair. "Well, I'm gonna go sit in the bar, wait for them to get done."

"Don't eat too many muffins," Gemma yelled as she walked out the door.

She rolled her eyes and kept walking. She entered the clubhouse again and sat at the bar where Juice stood. "You okay?" she asked him.

"Just wish I was in there, you know?"

Charlotte gave him a small smile. "The next four months will fly by. You'll see," she said.

Juice nodded. "So, you and Happy, huh? Is Annie dating anyone?"

She smirked. "No, Annie is not dating anyone right now," she replied truthfully. "But I don't know if you want to open that can of worms, Juicy. It's kinda complicated."

"Aw come on, she's cute. Can't you help me out?" he begged.

Charlotte reached forward placing her hand on his shoulder. "Juice, I like you. You seem like a wonderful guy. That is why I can't help you with this. You'll understand, hopefully someday soon."

Juice let out a sigh. "Yeah, alright," he replied.

She took her arm back. "Besides, her brother is Opie, you know, that right? He could rip you in half," she said nonchalantly.

The doors opened and club members started pouring out the door. She saw Happy and the three other members that came from Tacoma heading towards the door with Tig, Opie and Kyle.

Jax came up to her at the bar and sat next to her. "Give me a lift?" he asked simply.

Charlotte nodded and stood up. "Yeah, let's go. Good talking to you, Juice," she said and followed her brother toward the door.

The pair got into the car, Charlotte in the driver's seat. She waited for the bikers she saw leaving the clubhouse to take off first before she backed out of the parking spot. Jax stared out the window, not saying a word.

"Well, how did last night go?" Charlotte asked, breaking the silence.

"Did something happen to Annie last night?" he replied.

She glanced at him before turning her gaze back to the road. "No, we had a great time. Why, what happened?"

Jax shrugged. "I don't really know. She was crying. Said she'd never find a guy."

"Jax, what did you say to her?"

"Nothing, I just tried to reassure her that someday she'd find a guy we'd approve of!"

Charlotte groaned. "You are such a fucking idiot it astonishes me that we share DNA," she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Wow, Char," Jax said. "Why am I such a fucking idiot?"

"Because you're so blind you can't see what is right in front of you," she replied. "You know, I'm your sister. Your ONLY sister. Annie has a big brother, she doesn't need you to fill that role."

"I know that," he returned. "But Ope's always looked out for you and I've always looked out for Annie, too."

"Yeah, when we were kids that was okay, but Annie and I are big girls now," Charlotte mocked. "You need to look at Annie as a person, not a little sister you need to protect."

"But-"

"No buts! I will look after my best friend. You work on trying to get your head out of your ass," she said and pulled into the bar parking lot. "I know this is a long shot, but can you tell me where Happy was headed?"

Jax sighed before looking at his sister. "Don't worry, he'll be fine," was his only reply. He got out of the car and walked over to his bike.

Charlotte watched him leave the lot. She hoped that he understood what she was saying, but he could be so god damn dense sometimes.


	19. Hungover on Heartache

_To all my lovely readers,_

 _Yes, this story is Happy/OC centric, 1000%... Having said that, there will also be other OC's brought into this story, such as Annie, who will be romantic interests to other Sons. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but this is my story and frankly I don't like Tara. She might be seen in this story, but it'll be brief. I hope you stick around to see what happens, but I can't make you read my story. I write as a creative outlet for myself. Yes, I enjoy that others enjoy my story, but don't rain on my parade when something happens that you don't like. I can't make every person happy..._

 _As always, thanks for reading. Enjoy my lovelies!_

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

Charlotte stopped at the store on her way to Opie and Donna's house. She had a feeling that even if Annie's hangover wasn't that bad she would still be down in the dumps over Jax.

It didn't take her long to reach the Winston house. She grabbed her bag of goodies and her purse and walked up to the door.

Donna answered with a baby in her arms. "Hey Charlotte!" she exclaimed. "It's great to see you! How are you doing?"

"Hey Donna, I'm wonderful, thank you," she replied stepping inside. "Is this little Ellie?"

Donna nodded, a proud smile on her face. "Yes, Kenny is sleeping. Little Ellie here was just having a bottle," she said, leading Charlotte further inside. "Annie is still in bed, too. You girls must have had a good night."

Charlotte set down her bag on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. "We were having a great night until Jax showed up," Charlotte returned. "He gave her a ride home last night and really stuck his foot in his mouth because he's clueless."

"Oh no," Donna said. "I feel so awful for Annie. She's loved Jax longer than Opie and I have been together."

Charlotte nodded sadly. "Well, none of that today. I'm going to bring Annie back up out of the dumps!"

The two turned their heads down the hallway when a door opened. Subsequently another door closed and the pair could hear vomiting.

Donna looked at Charlotte. "How is it that you're not in her same condition?" she asked with a raised brow.

Charlotte sighed. "Can I tell you a secret?" Donna nodded. "I alternate shots of tequila with shots of water. I get half as wasted and wake up feeling fine. Plus, they're both clear liquids so no one is the wiser."

Donna laughed at her friend. "That is pretty smart."

Charlotte shrugged. "It's my burden to bear," she replied with a wink. "I'm gonna go take care of her."

"Bring her some water?"

Charlotte held up her plastic bag of goodies. "I've got everything I need to cure her hangover right here," she replied and began down the hallway.

Annie felt like death, twice ran over. Her head was pounding, her stomach was clearly not her friend right now as she had her head in a toilet. She felt a small, cold hand on her back and she couldn't bring herself to look up.

"Hey friend," Charlotte said softly, kneeling down next to her. She placed a wet washcloth against the back of Annie's neck. "Feel like you're done for now? Want help back to bed?"

Annie moaned at the wonderful feeling of the cold wash cloth. She managed to push herself back from the toilet and found herself sitting, her back against the tub. She looked over to Charlotte, who had a full face of make-up, her long blonde hair was pulled to the side in a pretty braid. She didn't appear to be in any discomfort as she was. "I hate you, you know that?" Annie grumbled. "You did your water trick last night, didn't you?"

Charlotte smiled. "Well, I love you, Annie," she replied. "And yes, I did, but in my defense I tried to give you some water shots but you weren't having it."

Annie let her head fall back until it rested against the tub. "I never want to drink ever again."

"I've got everything you need to get some pep in your step today," Charlotte replied and stood up. She held out a hand to her friend. "Come on, let's get you back into your room."

Annie glared up at her. "I want to stay right here," she grumbled.

Charlotte put her hands on her hips. "Don't do that. Don't make me go into Gemma mode, you know I hate that shit," she said.

Annie smirked. "Well, if the shoe fits, little Gemma," she mocked.

"Get your skinny ass off the floor and over to your god damn room right now!"

Charlotte reached down and grabbed Annie's arm. "Just leave me alone, Char. Let me suffer alone," Annie said softly.

Charlotte gave up the fight and sat next to her friend. "I will never, ever let you suffer alone. I'm always going to be here for you, you know that right?" Annie nodded. Charlotte reached into the bag, pulling out a bottle of Gatorade and a bottle of pills. "Take two Excedrin and drink this whole bottle of Gatorade. You need some electrolytes."

Annie gladly took the drink. Her mouth felt so dry. She took the two pills Charlotte offered her and did as she was told. Once she finished the drink, she set the bottle down on the floor and then rested her head against Charlotte's shoulder. "He sees me as another little sister," she muttered. "Do you know how humiliating that is?"

Charlotte wrapped her arm around Annie's shoulder. "Well, he's not going to after tomorrow night," she replied. "I need you to get up so we can go get some greasy food in your stomach and cure this hangover because we've got shit to do today."

"I want to just crawl back into bed. Pull the covers over my head. Forget that car ride from last night."

"Aren't you going to ask me about what is planned for tomorrow night? Aren't you even a little bit curious?" Charlotte asked with a smile.

"No."

Charlotte sighed. "Stop being such a little bitch! We're going to the mall and we're going to eat pizza then find you a nice, subtly slutty outfit that'll get the attention of all the guys at mom's family dinner tomorrow night."

Annie looked skeptically over at her friend. "That's your big idea?"

Charlotte smirked. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Yes, last night when you decided we should go out drinking."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I wasn't the one who suggested tequila," she replied.

Annie gagged. "Don't say that word right now," she said and sighed. "Help me up."

Charlotte stood and then helped Annie up. "Brush your teeth and find something to wear. I'll be out in the living room with Donna." With that, she started down the hall.

"Hey Char?" Annie said and she stopped and turned. "Thank you."

Charlotte smiled and winked at her friend. "Absolutely anytime, Annie." She turned away again and walked through the living room to the kitchen where she found Donna washing dishes. She took the spot next to her and began drying.

"How's she doing?" Donna asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "She's miserable, but she's going to be okay. Ma's throwing a family dinner tomorrow. You guys should come."

"I don't know. I don't have anyone to watch the kids."

"You're kidding, right? Bring them! Ma will love it. I will love it! They were born while I was in Seattle."

Annie walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. "I'll help you with them too, Donna," she said, her head on her hands.

Donna looked between the pair before sighing. "Alright, I guess we could take them with us."

"Can we go to the mall now? I wanna get this over with so I can go back to wallowing in self-pity," Annie said.

Charlotte smiled at Donna. "She is just such a ray of sunshine," she said. "Come on, let's go."

The pair headed out to Charlotte's car and spent the better part of the afternoon shopping together.


	20. Call Me

_Hello reviewers and readers! I've rewritten this chapter a few times and I'm still not very happy with it... I'm having a little writers block, but I'm also in my last week of classes so I will have more time after my last final tomorrow to dedicate to this story! Bare with me..._

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

Charlotte dropped Annie off at home before tackling the long list of groceries her mother had given her. It took her about an hour to walk around the store and find everything. She packed it all into her car and headed back to her mother's house.

Gemma was home and helped Charlotte bring all of the groceries inside. "Thanks for doing this, baby," she said once they had gotten everything in the kitchen.

Charlotte smiled at her mother. "Sure, no problem," she replied.

"How's our Annie doing?" Gemma asked, starting to unload the bags.

Charlotte took a seat at the island. "I left her better than when I first saw her today," she admitted. "I just hope that she gets what she wants or she's able to move on past Jax. I hate seeing her like that."

"Did you find her a new outfit?"

"Oh yeah," Charlotte grinned. "She's a knock out. No man in their right mind will be looking at anyone else."

Gemma smiled back at her daughter. "Good," she said. "Everything okay with you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just thought I'd hear from Hap by now. They've been out all day."

"Baby, you know better than that," Gemma started. "You know how the club is."

She sighed. "Yeah, yeah," she replied. "I've just gotten used to seeing him every day. I miss him." Gemma continued to unload the groceries. "Silence? That's not the Gemma I know… I know you're dying to say something here."

Gemma shook her head. "No, I wasn't going to say anything."

"That would be a first," Charlotte muttered. "Seriously, what? Do you think I'm being too clingy?"

Gemma stopped what she was doing and looked at her daughter. "You're not being clingy, baby. You're in love."

Charlotte felt heat in her cheeks. "It's a little early to be calling it that," she said quickly.

Her mother shrugged. "Just calling it like I see it, darling," she replied and continued to put away the groceries. "You going to be staying here tonight?" Charlotte nodded in reply. "Wanna have a girl's night in? Just you and me?"

Charlotte gave her mother a genuine, bright smile. "I would love that," she replied, thankful for the change in subject.

The pair spent the rest of their evening curled up on the couch catching up. It was moments like this that reminded Charlotte just how much she missed her mother. That her mother wasn't just a controlling nag- she just loved her children fiercely.

It was getting close to midnight and Charlotte looked down at her phone sitting on the coffee table.

"How do you keep so calm when Clay and Jax are gone all day and night?" she asked her mother softly. "Doesn't it drive you crazy?"

Gemma watched her daughter stare at the phone, willing it to ring. "Honestly, it's better that they haven't called yet. Usually means shit didn't go south and everyone's still whole if I haven't heard from them yet," she replied. "He told you he'd call you, baby. He will. If Happy is anything, he is loyal. He keeps his promises."

Charlotte forced her eyes away from the phone and looked at her mother. "You're right," she said with a small smile. She reached out and grabbed her mother's hand. "Thanks for tonight, mom. I've really missed you."

Gemma smiled at her little girl. She opened her arms and Charlotte moved over into them. "Always, baby. I've missed you too. I should kick your ass for picking a school 13 hours away from me."

Charlotte laughed and pulled back. "Hey, I could've gone to schools on the east coast, you know. I got into University of Michigan's program."

Gemma glared at her. "That's it, I'm kicking your skinny ass," she replied with a laugh. Charlotte's phone began to ring and her head snapped towards it. She leaned forward and grabbed it. It was Happy. "Go talk to your man, baby."

Charlotte smiled at her as she answered the phone and started walking up to her room. "Hey Hap," she said.

He let out a sigh. "Hey baby," he replied. He sounded tired. "Sorry it's so late."

Charlotte shut the door to her room and sat on the bed. "No, it's okay. I'm just glad to hear your voice," she replied. "I've missed you today."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Yeah, I'm quite partial to you now, don't you know that? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, we're whole," he replied, not saying more than that.

"Good, I'm glad."

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked.

"No, I was up talking with mom for a while. She's going to get me up early tomorrow I'm sure to start preparing for her big dinner."

"You should get some sleep then," he returned. "I'm pretty tired myself."

Charlotte sighed. "You're probably right. I wish you were here tonight."

"Want me to ride over?"

As much as she really did want him to come over, and she knew he would ride over right now if she asked him to, she knew he was exhausted. "No, it's okay. You should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow for the big family dinner."

"Can't wait," he replied. "Sweet dreams, Charlie."

She smiled. "Good night, Happy." She hung up the phone and laid down on the bed. The relief she felt when he had finally called… Maybe she did love him. All she knew is that tomorrow evening couldn't come soon enough.


	21. Now or Never

_Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Here's a new chapter, hope you like it :)_

 **Chapter 21**

Charlotte woke up and looked at the clock. It was 9:30 am. She sat up and stretched, yawning. She wanted to get in a quick run since she had been neglecting it lately. She decided she would check in with her mother before she did, not wanting to feel the wrath of Gemma if she was waiting on her to get up.

She walked downstairs in her pajamas. Her mother smiled at her when she entered the kitchen. "Good morning," she said, sitting on a stool at the counter.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep okay?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah, I did, thanks. Do you need me right away or can I go for a quick run?"

Gemma rolled her eyes. "Aren't you on spring break? Doesn't that mean you're supposed to take a break from school and running and all that crap?"

She laughed at her mother. "Hey, running is a good thing. It's good for my heart, you know, as well as my figure."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't run, even if someone's chasing me," Gemma replied.

"Oh no?"

"No, baby that's what my gun is for," she said simply.

It was Charlotte's turn to roll her eyes. "Should've guessed that. Well, I won't be gone long." Charlotte stood up and kissed her mother's cheek before heading back upstairs. She changed into a sports bra and shorts and put her long blonde hair up in a ponytail. She put on socks and her running shoes before heading out.

It had been quite some time since she had run around the streets of Charming. Why, the last time she had been running in Charming she was in a wedding dress. Running away… Oh, how times have changed.

She ran through the residential areas before she made her way out onto the main road. She ran past the diner they had eaten at just 2 days ago where she was arrested… as well as the other stores that had been there since she was a child. It was bringing back some memories, mostly good ones.

She heard the roar of a group of motorcycles and she turned her head to the left to look. She saw Happy in the group who nodded at her. She smiled back at him and she slowed down into a walk.

He pulled off and parked at the curb. Charlotte walked over to him, standing next to his motorcycle. "Hey," she said catching her breath.

"Hey yourself, gorgeous," he replied, taking a hold of her hand and pulling her to him, kissing her hard. "Are you sleep running or something?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

Happy looked down at her exposed body and then back up to her eyes. "You're missing some clothes," he said simply.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled at him. "Hap, this is California. I know I run in sweats and a sweatshirt in Washington, but here it's way too hot to do that. I'd pass out from heat exhaustion."

Happy shook his head. "Just don't like other people staring at my woman."

She scoffed. "No one is even paying attention to me!" she tried to reason with him.

He gestured towards the building behind her. Charlotte turned and looked into the window of Floyd's barber shop where several men were outright staring at her ass and chest.

She suddenly felt exposed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Pigs," she muttered.

Happy moved her arms away from her chest and pulled her towards him again, pressing her up against his chest. "I wanna rip their eyes out for lookin' at you," he started. "But I'd be staring too. You're beautiful."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm glad you think so, that's all that matters to me," she replied and kissed him softly.

Happy gave her a smile, dimples and all, when he pulled back. "We're headed out to Lodi for a while, but we'll be back for dinner tonight. I gotta go catch up with them."

She nodded and stepped back. "Yeah, I should get back home. I'm sure my mom is wondering where I am by now," she replied. "Be safe."

He winked and gave her a nod before he sped off down the road again. She watched him go until she could no longer see him. She didn't dare glance back into the window of Floyd's again, instead she turned back towards the way she came and headed home.

When she got back home the kitchen was packed with women- old ladies and croweaters chatting and preparing food. It was just after 11 am. It was going to be a long day.

She spotted her mother and walked over to her. "Hey, ma, I'm just going to take a quick shower and then I'll be able to help with whatever you need," she said. Gemma nodded and Charlotte headed up the stairs.

She decided that she would curl her hair for this occasion, leaving it down. It flowed past her shoulders, about to the length of her midback. It was getting a little long for her liking, she'd need a cut soon.

Annie would be wearing a dress that evening, but Charlotte decided on jean shorts and a floral tank top for herself with a pair of wedges. She laid everything out and got into the shower. An hour and a half later she was dressed and ready, including hair and makeup.

She walked down the stairs finding even more women inside the house and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Luann Delaney spotted her and walked over. "Charlotte, doll, it's so good to see you! How are you?"

"Hey Luann, it's great to see you too! I'm great, how are you?" She hugged her.

"I'm great, kid. I know your mom sure is happy to have you home."

Charlotte nodded at her mom's good friend. "I'm happy to be here too. It's been too long."

"Charlotte, come on! I need your help!" Gemma yelled.

"Sorry, Luann, duty calls," she apologized and walked over to help her mom.

By 6 o'clock everything was ready. Clay and Jax had arrived before the other guys because Gemma had Clay on barbeque duty. The two guys were in the back manning the grill when Annie walked in the house.

Charlotte frowned at her friend. She wasn't in the dress they had gotten the other day. "Hey, Annie," she started.

Annie walked up to Charlotte, holding up a bag. "I have it in here, don't look at me like that! I need your help to get ready."

Charlotte nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the stairs. "Mom, Annie and I will be back in a bit," she said, dragging her up the stairs. "Why aren't you dressed and ready?"

Annie sighed and looked at Charlotte who just closed her bedroom door. "I don't know, don't you think my dress is a little much?"

Charlotte crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "No, I think you look great in it, I wouldn't have convinced you to get it if I didn't think so!"

"I'm not ready for this!"

"Annie, I love you, but you are just as bad as he is if you don't do something! This is your opportunity. Put your big girl panties on and get your man!" Charlotte exclaimed, arms flailing.

Annie looked back at her friend, Charlotte thought she resembled a deer in headlights. "I just don't think this is the best time for this," Annie stated.

Charlotte sighed and reached out to hold Annie's hands. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Annie, but you should still wear that dress. You look absolutely beautiful in it. Just get changed and come downstairs when you are ready. It will be a fun night." Charlotte gave Annie a smile and walked back out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her.


End file.
